


Restoration

by Nomolosk



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-09-28 14:56:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 60,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20427824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomolosk/pseuds/Nomolosk
Summary: Hawk Moth decides to stop playing around and changes his modus operandi, placing Ladybug and Cat Noir in untenable positions. Can the two heroes ultimately prevail?Disclaimer: I haven't seen part 2 of season 3 yet, so there may be discrepancies. Obviously, this is an endgame of my own devising, so... AU. I tried to stay true to characters, though.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning, dear readers... this is going to be a long haul. The story is completely written, and I will upload chapters as I get them edited, but... it's definitely novel-length. Hope you enjoy.

Gabriel Agreste stood staring at the painting of his wife. He hadn’t akumatized anyone in a week, so he was pretty sure his son Adrien would be in his room where he should be. He still wasn’t positive that Adrien had a double life as Chat Noir, but all the evidence seemed to point in that direction. He heard the door to his office open softly and turned his head slightly to see Nathalie standing respectfully by the open door.

“It’s time, Nathalie. Please go get Adrien,” he said.

“Are you sure, sir? Is this the right time?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes. I’m ready, and Emilie has already waited so long. I have to end this intolerable state of affairs. Today… today I will finally get my hands on the Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculouses and then...,” he smiled and looked up at his wife’s face. “And then we will be together again.”

“Yes, sir.” Nathalie turned and walked out, softly shutting the door behind her. In the silence of his office, Gabriel contemplated Emilie’s face and imagined her lifeless body coming back to life, her gorgeous green eyes opening and looking at him with all the love they used to hold.

After all the months of planning, learning, akumatizing idiots and nincompoops to try and get the miraculouses he needed so desperately, it felt like no time at all before Nathalie opened the door again and ushered Adrien into his office. Gabriel turned away from the portrait, so soon to be eclipsed by his wife’s living beauty once again, and smiled at his son- their son.

“Adrien, come here, I want to show you something.”

Adrien looked uncertainly from Nathalie to his father and back. Nathalie’s passive expression didn’t waver- it never wavered- but she nodded ever so slightly. Adrien slowly approached his father on the small dais at the foot of his mother’s portrait.

“What do you want to show me, Father?”

Gabriel put his arms around his son and positioned him on one particular spot directly in front of the portrait. He smiled at him briefly, privately wondering if his suspicions about his son were correct. On the one hand, having one of the miraculouses he needed within his reach could only be a good thing. On the other… if Adrien was also Chat Noir, he wouldn’t give up his miraculous easily, especially not after fighting his father’s akumas for the last year or so.

Gabriel stepped up to the painting and carefully inserted his fingers into special retractions that the painting hid from the naked eye. A platform irised open under Adrien’s feet and Gabriel watched as his astonished son started sinking down into the floor.

“Father! What’s going on?” Adrien shouted, already halfway down.

Gabriel looked down at him and said, “It’s a very special day, Adrien. Don’t worry, you’ll know everything soon enough.” 

He signaled Nathalie, then touched the spot that slid a second platform out for himself. He followed his son into his butterfly chamber, mentally steeling himself to be attacked by Chat Noir as soon as he entered the chamber. He was pleased instead to see Adrien looking amazed and just a little bit horrified. No fool, his son, though he was incredibly naive as of yet.

“I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that I am Hawk Moth,” Gabriel said calmly.

“W-what?” was all Adrien managed to produce. Gabriel smirked. He’d taken his son by surprise, and it was possible that he now thought it would be too dangerous to transform into Chat Noir, if that was indeed his alter ego. But he wasn’t going to take any chances, and as Nathalie and Adrien’s bodyguard stepped out of the shadows, he accepted a roll of duct tape from Nathalie. Adrien’s look of betrayal barely grazed his heart as he put a piece of tape over his son’s mouth. He would understand soon enough.

Nathalie produced a chair and Gabriel signaled Adrien’s bodyguard to tie him securely to it so he couldn’t move his arms or legs. Only then did Gabriel step forward and kneel in front of him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I wanted to give you this opportunity to help me Adrien, but I can’t take the chance that you might interfere. You see, I’m fairly sure that you are Chat Noir.” He noted the slight look of panic that crossed his son’s face and narrowed his eyes. “You probably think that Hawk Moth is evil, and that I should be stopped at all costs. But you don’t yet know what that cost is, do you? But you will. I’m going to reveal everything to you, my son, because I’m certain that once you know what I would use it for, you will surrender any miraculous you may have, or help me to get them from Ladybug and Chat Noir if I’m wrong about you.”

He took out a remote and pushed the button that caused that whole section of flooring to sink down into his wife’s mausoleum. He watched Adrien’s face carefully, looking for… he didn’t even know what he was looking for. Adrien’s eyes widened in awe as the massive chamber appeared around them. The metal walkway suspended over carefully ordered rows of cables and pipes ran from one end of the room to the other, and pale, ghost-like lamps lit the room. At their end was the elevator, at the other a garden of flowers, centered by an elevated coffin-like capsule. At the moment it wasn’t illuminated, because Gabriel wanted Adrien to be closer, to have the full effect of seeing his mother’s face before he would take the chance of letting him speak.

He motioned Adrien’s bodyguard into action, and the massively built man picked up Adrien in his chair and carried it down the walkway, followed by Nathalie and Gabriel himself. Gabriel took the opportunity to remove the ascot which hid Nooroo’s brooch from casual sight. He might need to transform himself if this didn’t work.

Once they reached the garden, Adrien’s bodyguard placed the chair to the left of the capsule, while Gabriel stood to the right with Nathalie in her proper position one step behind and to the left of him. Gabriel touched the remote again and the capsule lights came on, illuminating his dear wife’s form. Gabriel gazed at her for one tender moment, then looked across her to Adrien.

Adrien’s face was contorted into as much of a grimace of pain as was possible, considering the tape over his mouth. Tears gathered and spilled over as Adrien looked up at him with such a pleading expression that Gabriel was moved to go to his side. Again he knelt in front of him and put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

But he didn’t remove the tape yet. He had to explain, first.

“Your mother didn’t disappear, Adrien. A… mistake was made, and she paid the price. I can’t begin to tell you how guilty I have felt since that day. But I promised her, I promised her as she lay dying in my arms that I would find a way to bring her back! After all, wasn’t I Gabriel Agreste? I froze her before she took her last breath, and I searched the world until I found Nooroo,” he touched the small deep purple dot of his miraculous, “and the spell book. And then I finally knew hope again. Because Nooroo told me of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses and what they could do if they were joined together by one master. That day I determined that master would be, must be, me and no other. Your mother’s life depends on it.”

Adrien had closed his eyes and hung his head halfway through his speech, and there was a frown on his brow. Tears still sparkled at the corners of his eyes, but Gabriel could wait no longer. He reached up and pulled the tape off his son’s mouth. Adrien winced, but didn’t move otherwise.

Gabriel spoke softly, putting as much pleading in his tone as he was capable of. “Son. Adrien. Will you help me? Will you help me to bring your mother back to life, and to erase the mistake I made?”


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien’s mind flipped back and forth between panic and overdrive the moment his father sent him into the butterfly chamber. Was his father working with Hawk Moth? Was his father actually Hawk Moth? But that couldn’t be, Hawk Moth had akumatized his father months ago, when Adrien lost the ancient book of superheroes and his father had grounded him from school for the theft.

So he must be working for or with Hawk Moth. But how could that be? He was famously reclusive, had no friends, and his only acquaintance were with other designers or clients. Adrien glanced quickly around the room as soon as he reached the bottom, half expecting Hawk Moth to step out of the shadows into the single beam of light from the ceiling. Then the light dimmed breifly as his father followed him into the chamber. 

Adrien thought quickly. He could transform into Chat Noir and fight his way out if he had to, but he didn’t want to unless there was no other choice, since he would never be safe in his own house again if he transformed in front of father, or Nathalie, or even his bodyguard. Not with this secret revealed.

His father’s next sentences and actions only confirmed that he’d made the right choice. Plagg was effectively invisible inside his shirt and hadn’t made a sound since Nathalie had interrupted his piano practice. 

Adrien hadn’t known what to think when the three of them tied him up and took him down to an even lower level. How had his father built all this? How could he have lived in this house of secrets and never suspected anything? His father... Hawk Moth? Ladybug had been right after all. The thought of Ladybug simultaneously squashed and heightened his anxiety.

Of course, Ladybug could fix this. Adrien was sure the two of them together could get his father to see reason. But how could he let her know? His father had a miraculous, which meant Plagg couldn’t come out of hiding without alerting the other kwami, and that was much too dangerous. And then, when Adrien saw his mother’s seemingly sleeping form in the lighted coffin, all hope of getting his father to see reason evaporated.

Seeing his mom again after all this time hit deep. Adrien couldn’t understand why his father had kept this such a secret. Believing his mother had been kidnapped, or… or simply left… surely hurt worse than knowing she was dead, didn’t it? But looking at her preserved face filled him with such grief he almost couldn’t breathe. He already knew what his father, what Hawk Moth, was going to ask him before he heard the words, and he tried to steel himself against giving in.

More than anything he wanted to take the black cat ring from his finger and hand it over to his father, to help him revive his mother so they could be a happy family again. A series of daydreams flitted through his mind. Of the three of them around the dinner table, talking, laughing, his father healed of his guilt, ready to be a living person again, ready to show his love for Adrien in a normal father/son relationship, his mother tucking him into bed, Christmases filled with light and music, with his friends invited to parties that his mother planned and presided over… these scenes filled his mind with longing.

When his father pulled the tape off his mouth, Adrien couldn’t speak. The urge to give in vied too strongly with the knowledge that Hawk Moth was evil, that he’d hurt too many people, that helping him meant betraying Ladybug, HIS Ladybug, the girl of his dreams. How could he choose? How could he ever choose between the girl he loved and his own mother?

His months of experience as Chat Noir saved him. Fine, he couldn’t answer that question, but surely he could ask some of his own? Get information, and buy time for Ladybug to arrive. Yes, he could do that. But he couldn’t do that and look at his mother’s body at the same time, so he kept his eyes closed.

“F-father,” he croaked. “Why?” He called on all his courage and opened his eyes to look at him, his gaze sliding right over the capsule in front of him as if it didn’t exist. “Why did you become Hawk Moth? Why did you hurt so many people? Mother wouldn’t have wanted that.” His voice grew stronger with the strength of his conviction. His mother had been kind and loving. She would never have countenanced his father turning into a supervillain.

Gabriel’s expression darkened. “I understand that you have questions, son. But I need to know. Will you help me of your own accord? Look at your mother.” He gently pushed Adrien’s face toward the capsule. “Don’t you want her back? Don’t you miss her as much as I do?” There was a desperation in his father’s voice that Adrien had never heard before.

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut. “Father please. Just tell me why.”

He felt the hand on his shoulder pull away. Felt the slight movement of air when his father stood up. “I did what I had to do. I had Nooroo, but Nooroo couldn’t bring Emilie back to me. I needed the ladybug and black cat miraculouses for that, and… the only way to find them was to provoke them. To make it necessary for them to reveal themselves. I couldn’t find them without becoming Hawk Moth, and believe me, I tried. I tried for a long, long time. I promised myself, I promised Emilie, I would do whatever it took to bring her back. So… I became Hawk Moth. I preyed on the negative emotions so rife in this city. I created supervillains for Ladybug and Chat Noir to fight, hoping that at least one of them would be smart enough, strong enough, and resourceful enough to bring me what I needed.” His father sighed, and Adrien looked up at him again. 

“They were all too stupid, too incompetent to serve my ultimate purpose. I must say, there were days when I fully sympathized with Audry Bourgoise and her contempt for the common man. But at least my akumas let me learn about Ladybug and Chat Noir. Piece together their strengths and weaknesses. Come to an understanding of who they are beneath the masks.” He looked down at Adrien, and Adrien had to look away. “This isn’t the first time I’ve suspected you, you know.”

Adrien looked up, surprised. “S-suspected me?”

His father smiled a tight little smile, but his eyes were sad. “Do you remember the day you wanted to see your mother’s movie?”

Adrien’s mind flew back to the day he tried to sneak out to see the movie his mother had starred in, had unexpectedly run into a mob of screaming fans, and bumped into Marinette while trying to escape them. It had led first to a surprising amount of fun when she joined his efforts to escape, and then to terror when he found himself unable to transform into Chat Noir to help Ladybug because he was too exposed. But it had all worked out in the end. He’d switched clothes with Wayem, the screaming fanboy who’d started it all, so that “Adrien” and Chat Noir could be in the same place at the same time, and Ladybug had saved the day and fixed everything. And then his father had relented and they’d watched the movie together in his own room at home. It had been a happy memory… until right now.

“Uh… yes?” he managed to get out.

His father looked away. “I was nearly certain you were Chat Noir, and that placing you in that position would force you to give yourself away. But then Gorizilla dropped you and you fell… I almost called the whole thing at that moment. I even told Gorizilla to drop Ladybug so she could save you. And then… there was Chat Noir, fighting right beside you and Ladybug.” He gave his son a considering look. “Obviously you switched places with someone, but I really have no idea who it could have been.”

Adrien was sure he had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, but said, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I didn’t-”

“Don’t lie to me!” His father suddenly shouted. He grabbed Adrien’s hand, the one on which he wore the black cat ring, currently plain silver since Plagg wasn’t in it. “The rings, Adrien! Your ring is exactly the same as Chat Noir’s, except it’s silver, and lacks the green paw print. Where did you get it? I didn’t give it to you. I know Nathalie didn’t give it to you! You didn’t leave this house except for supervised lessons until Nathalie convinced me to let you go to school. So where did you get this ring? If you aren’t Chat Noir, the two of you have strangely similar tastes.” His father dropped his hand, which was good since he’d been bending the wrist painfully against the ropes holding his arms down.

“Not to mention that you’ve become increasingly skillful at escaping your room recently, usually disappearing right before Chat Noir shows up somewhere, and only reappearing after Chat Noir has left.”

“Th-that doesn’t prove anything!” Adrien blurted out, trying to control his panic. Where was Ladybug?!

“You’re right, of course. But I think I should tell you I finally put some cameras on the wall outside your bedroom.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. It felt like the Kentucky Derby was thundering directly through his chest. “F-father… I…”

His father’s face actually softened and his voice lost the hard edge of anger it had held. “It’s alright, son. I know why you didn’t tell me. But surely you can tell me now, when I already know… and help me?”

Adrien gazed wildly around the room looking for help from any source at all. Nathalie’s face was impassive as always, and his bodyguard’s face was equally unreadable. He didn’t want to see his father’s face, so that left… his eyes lighted on the coffin, and his mother’s body. Longing filled him. He wanted so much for her to open her eyes, to look at him, to tell him that she loved him and had never meant to go away, and that she was back… to stay. He squeezed his eyes shut but her face still floated in front of him. He dropped his head to his chest as his heart seemed to spasm with grief.

“I… I want to help you, father,” he said, choking the words out. “I want to. I want to see mom again. I want to hear her… hear her say…” He paused to swallow, and took a shaky breath. He knew what his mom would have wanted. “I c-can’t. I wish I could.”

“Well. I must say you’ve disappointed me, Adrien.” His father’s voice was back to being smooth and faintly menacing. “No matter. You will help me, whether you want to or not. And your mother will be the judge of which of us was right.”

Adrien’s eyes shot open and he lifted his eyes to stare at his father. Gabriel knelt beside him again and slid the silver ring off his finger. Adrien tried to clench his hand around it, but his father forced it open. Adrien held his breath, hoping against hope the ring wouldn’t turn black and reveal itself. As long as Plagg stayed out of the ring, his father couldn’t use it.

“Hmm…” Gabriel mused, regarding the ring which remained stubbornly silver. “It may interest you to know that I was counting on your betrayal,” his father continued, standing back up. “Nooroo! Dark wings rise!” 

A cloud of white butterflies surrounded his father, and Adrien watched as a small purple kwami with wings first appeared out of thin air, and then was sucked into the purple dot just beneath his father’s collar. Adrien hadn’t noticed the brooch before because he’d been so focused on his mother’s body and the terrible choice he had to make. But he vaguely recalled seeing butterflies flitting around the coffin. -This must be where Father gets all the butterflies he turns into akumas- he thought.

Purple light briefly engulfed his father and when it faded, the butterflies flitted away again and Hawk Moth, not Gabriel Agreste stood before him. 

“And now, Adrien Agreste, we’re going to film a little video. Don’t worry, it’ll be just like a photo shoot, except today, instead of modeling fashion you’ll be playing the role of helpless victim. I happen to know your precious Ladybug has a weakness for you. It should bring her here post haste, don’t you think?”


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette was sewing and listening to Jagged Stone’s new album when Alya called. It had been a whole week without any akumatizations, so she was all caught up on school work and projects and actually feeling rested for once. Alya’s serious expression didn’t phase her as much as it maybe should have.

“Hey, Alya! What’s going on?”

“Girl, don’t freak out, but turn on the news. Right now!”

Puzzled, Marinette turned to switch on the TV. Nadja Chamack was reporting from the main TV station.

“-- been playing on all channels one after the next. Social media platforms have also been bombarded with the video. It seems Hawk Moth is taking no chances of not being heard. We don’t have any information on the current state of Adrien Agreste, famous teen fashion model for the Gabriel Agreste label, but I’m sure Ladybug and Cat Noir will see to it that he’s set free as soon as possible. Attempts to reach Gabriel Agreste for comment have been unsuccessful so far.”

Marinette almost dropped her phone. She looked down at Alya. “Adrien? Set free? Alya, what’s going on?!”

“Hawk Moth posted a video, online and sent to every news station. He’s taken Adrien captive. He’s never done that before! He akumatizes people, but he’s never taken a prisoner. It’s so weird! I don’t like it. I really hope Ladybug and Chat Noir have already seen it, because he’s demanding they turn over their miraculouses to him in order to free Adrien.”

Marinette stared at the screen, stunned. And then her brain started working again. Half of it was panicking over Adrien in danger, but the other half was analyzing and already planning how best to confront this new threat. “It’s like Dark Owl all over again… except this time it’s Adrien! Oh, Alya, do you think it could be another hologram?” she asked hopefully.

Alya looked at her with pity. “I hope so… but I don’t think it is. You should watch the video and see for yourself. I posted it on the LadyBlog. I’m pretty sure it’s the real Adrien.”

Marinette called up the LadyBlog and hit play as soon as the video loaded. It was perfectly framed, Hawk Moth in the foreground, slightly backlit to obscure some of his features, but enough showed that Marinette recognized him. Adrien was seated behind him in a spotlight, duct tape over his mouth, arms and legs securely tied to his chair. Hawk Moth was talking, but for the moment Marinette focused on Adrien, her concern for him overwhelming. He didn’t look scared, that was something. His eyes kept flicking from Hawk Moth to the camera and back again. Then he shook his head, frowning. Marinette touched his image as the video continued to play. He shook his head again and glared at the camera, his beautiful green eyes fierce. The video ended, and Marinette quickly replayed it, listening to Hawk Moth this time.

“Good evening, my fellow Parisians. I am Hawk Moth, and I have been trying for far too long to acquire certain items currently in the possession of those so-called superheroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir. Well, since all of you have failed me, I’ll just have to do the dirty work myself. Ladybug, Chat Noir, I order you to turn over your miraculouses to me at the Eiffel Tower by midnight tonight-” Marinette saw Adrien shake his head and frown. “- or this young man here will meet a cruel fate. You’ve rescued people before, haven’t you? But never yet have you rescued anyone from me. I assure you, I am far more difficult to defeat than any of my akumatized partners in crime. You discovered that a few months ago on Hero’s Day, didn’t you? Ladybug, Chat Noir, if you have any sense, you will give in gracefully and turn in your miraculouses. I would hate to have to broadcast the results of your refusal to do so.” Marinette saw Adrien shake his head and glare and then the short video was over.

Marinette touched the frozen image of Adrien as if she could reach through the screen and rescue him right then and there. Dimly, she was aware of Alya talking to her from her phone, but it wasn’t until Alya shouted her name that she was able to snap out of it.

“Marinette!” 

Marinette closed her eyes and picked up her phone again, her voice shaking, “Alya… what am I going to do?”

“Do? You can’t do anything! But don’t worry! I’m sure Ladybug and Chat Noir are already planning together. And they’ve got superhero friends, too, remember? Rena Rouge, and Carapace! It’s not like they’ll be facing Hawk Moth alone. They can handle anything! They already have, remember? Adrien’s going to be fine, and Hawk Moth is NOT going to get their miraculouses! I trust them.”

Marinette sighed. Alya might have faith in Ladybug, but Marinette wasn’t so sure they were any of them ready to face Hawk Moth directly again. “Okay. I’ll… call you later.” She hung up and immediately jumped out of her chair. Tikki zoomed out of her hiding place and hung in front of her, just as worried looking as Marinette felt. 

“Tikki, we’ve got to save him!”

“I know, Marinette.”

“But how? We barely defeated Hawk Moth on Hero’s Day, he was waiting for us, he had help, and he can do all of that again! And none of the other miraculous bearers helped very much, because he ended up using them against us, but I can’t… Chat Noir and I can’t go up against him alone! Not this time! He’s had too much time to study us.”

“You have to think ahead, Marinette. Why now? Why did he capture Adrien, of all people? He could have chosen anyone, and you and Chat Noir would have come for them because that’s what you do! So…”

“So why did he choose Adrien? Was he just in the right place at the wrong time? Or… was it deliberate?”

Tikki looked very worried. “I’m very much afraid it may have been deliberate, Marinette. I mean… Ladybug has tended to be very persistent in making sure Adrien is safe, right?”

Marinette’s mouth dropped open with all the horror. “You mean, you think Hawk Moth knows I’m in love with Adrien?!” she practically shrieked.

“I don’t know about that, but you’ve never been really enthusiastic about rescuing Chloe, for example, and only neutral about anyone else. But Adrien…”

Marinette collapsed into her chair and buried her head in her arms. “Oh, this is a disaster!”

“Marinette…” Tikki began hesitantly.

“What,” Marinette groaned.

“Do you… do you think Adrien wants to be rescued?”

Marinette’s head shot up and she stared at her kwami.

“It’s just that… in the video, everytime Hawk Moth said for you to turn in your miraculous, Adrien shook his head. It’s like he was telling you not to do it.”

“I know, Tikki, I know. But I can’t just do nothing! Adrien is in danger! And we already know Hawk Moth will stop at nothing to get what he wants!” She closed her eyes and frowned in concentration. “I just have to forget that it’s Adrien in trouble, and focus on Hawk Moth. You’re right, Tikki. I have to think ahead.”

She got up and started pacing around the room, then stopped and put her hands over her face. “That’s easier said than done! Oh, Tikki, what if… what if we can’t save him?” 

Tikki flew over and nuzzled her cheek to comfort her. “You can do this, Marinette. You have friends who can help.” 

A knock on the trap door made Tikki wizz off somewhere, and Marinette turned to see her mom and dad’s concerned faces.

“Marinette? We just saw that awful video, dear. Are you all right?”

Marinette thought about telling them the truth, that she was anything but alright, but decided not to worry them further.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be fine! I’m just... worried about Adrien.”

“We know he’s your friend, but... But I’m sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will help him out, right Tom?” Sabine said, elbowing Tom not subtlely enough for Marinette not to notice.

“Um, sure. Sure. Don’t worry, honey. They’ve got this. Are you going to be alright up here, or do you want to come down and play some video games to get your mind off this?” Tom offered up an encouraging smile.

“No, thanks Dad. I think I’ll just stay up here and work on some school stuff. That will keep my mind off it.” She mumbled, “Not that it will work,” under her breath, but her parents didn’t hear that.

“Alright. Well, come downstairs if you want company.”

Marinette had no intention of going downstairs. She needed to transform as soon as possible so she could contact Chat Noir and figure out a place to meet. As soon as her parents closed the trap door behind them, she was up and out the skylight and climbing over the chimney wall. 

“Tikki, spots on!” 

In a flash of red, she changed from Marinette Dupain-Cheng into Ladybug, savior of Paris. The first thing she did was open the bug phone that was concealed in her magic yo-yo and try to call Chat Noir. But instead of the instant response she was counting on, all she got was the smart-alecky voice mail message he insisted on using. She left a message and closed the bug-phone, saying, “Where are you Chat Noir? We can’t afford to waste time on this!”

The first move was to scout out the Eiffel Tower, even though Chat Noir and Ladybug had fought Hawk Moth’s akumatized victims there so many times that she had the layout memorized. There could be traps waiting for her already, and if she could neutralize them in advance, that would give her an advantage. She was about to swing her yo-yo out, when a thought came to her that made her put it away again. If she was going to be scouting, a bright red and black skinsuit would be the worst possible choice of clothing.

“Spots off,” she said quietly. Tikki reappeared as her miraculous suit disappeared. 

“What’s wrong, Marinette? I thought we were going to go help Adrien.”

“I know, Tikki. And we will. But I think I should go to the Eiffel Tower as myself, and only transform into Ladybug a little closer to the actual deadline. It’ll be safer for us both. And I can tell my parents I’m going to some kind of vigil or something.” She brightened preceptibly. “Actually, that’s a great idea! I’ll call all my friends from school and actually organize one! Then, not only will I have a reason to be there as Marinette, but all the help Ladybug could need will be right there in the same spot, and I won’t have to go all around town to get them!”

“But what about their secret identities? Don’t you think they’ll suspect if they all show up at the same time their other classmates disappear into the crowd?”

“If I need their help, I’m going to need it fast. And people naturally scatter when there’s an akuma on the rampage. No one should suspect anyone else.” She thought about how clever Alya was, and how she and Nino already knew each other’s secret identity, but brushed it aside.

She called Alya first. “Hey Alya, listen. I think we should do a candlelit vigil for Adrien, don’t you? All of our class, I mean. I just… really think it would help everyone stay calm. Can you call Nino, Ivan, Kim, and Alix? And I’ll call Rose, Juleka, and Chloe. Ivan can call Mylene, and I’m sure Chloe can call Sabrina.”

“Chloe, really? Are you sure about this, girl?”

“I… don’t really want to be alone right now, Alya. I need my friends, and I’m sure that’s true for everyone else. And whether I like Chloe or not, she has been Adrien’s friend for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be totally annoying to hear her whining and pouting, but maybe that will help take all our minds off…” She trailed off and bit her lip. “Please, Alya?”

“Ivan, Kim, Alix, and of course, Nino. Consider it done. And hey,” Alya smiled encouragingly. “Don’t worry too much, ok, girl? Ladybug’s got this.”

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Right. Let’s meet as close to the Eiffel Tower as we can get, alright? I’m sure they’ve got it blocked off by now, but… I want to be as close as possible. If Ladybug can get Adrien away, we can all help him escape, don’t you think?”

Alya gave her a half-smile. “Sure. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Bye, Alya.” Marinette put her phone down and went downstairs to talk to her parents before calling the rest of her classmates. Then Marinette called everyone she had assigned to herself, and at the last moment added Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles to the list as well. Everyone promised to come. Marinette only paused to grab a box of candles and then she was out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette took the bus to the Eiffel Tower, but the area around it was cordoned off by police with barricades. Paris law enforcement had learned it was best to evacuate when they had any prior warning of a superhero/villain battle, even though Ladybugs powers would restore everything back to it’s previous pristine condition after the battle. And since the location was the Eiffel Tower, the cordon was bigger than normal. It had been knocked down, mangled, and otherwise destroyed too often in the months since Hawk Moth surfaced. Much as no one wanted to think about it, there was always a possibility that this time Ladybug and Cat Noir would fail to stop the villain.

Marinette wasn’t the first one there. Alya rushed up and they hugged each other tightly.

“Oh, Alya, I’m so worried!”

“I know. Me too.”

“I brought some candles,” Marinette opened her backpack and produced the small box she’d grabbed before leaving home.

“I have a lighter. Come on, Nino and Ivan are already here, too.”

The rest of their classmates weren’t slow to arrive, and Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles also arrived fairly soon. Everyone took a candle, but no one lit one until after sunset. Nadja Chamack and her news van, along with every other news station in Paris saw their gathering as the logical place to set up for interviews and background footage. Marinette saw Chloe, with Mayor Bourgeios in tow, sobbing theatrically into a microphone, but she herself stayed away from the reporters. Everytime one of them headed her direction, she dodged behind one of her classmates.

Not long after sunset other Parisians started joining the group, candles in hand, some of them bearing banners with Ladybug and Chat Noir on them, some carrying signs against Hawk Moth, or modeling posters of Adrien. At one point Marinette even saw her parents going through the crowd handing out pastries, but she avoided them, too. She spent most of her time leaning up against the closest barricade, staring at the Eiffel Tower as the daylight faded and stars started coming out. She kept a hand inside her purse, cupped around the small warmth of Tikki. 

Finally, around 11 pm, Marinette took a deep breath and went looking for Alya. Alya was sitting up against the barricade with Nino, the two of them cuddling, but not talking much. Everyone had already gone through at least one candle, and the ones Marinette had brought were long gone. Others had been passed around though, she didn’t know who had brought them.

“Alya, I… I was going to go find a bathroom. If you see my parents, can you tell them that’s where I am?”

“Sure, girl.” She glanced sideways at Nino. “You can come sit with us when you get back… if you want to.”

Marinette smiled weakly, and headed off. She didn’t hurry, though. Instead, she worked her way slowly through the crowd to avoid calling attention to herself. The news vans were still occasionally airing live video and the last thing she needed was for someone to notice her departure and put it together with Ladybug’s appearance a short time later. She was almost to the edge of the gathered vigilers when Master Fu appeared at her side.

“This was a good idea, Marinette. All those who might be needed are gathered here together. Don’t worry. If Ladybug needs help, it will be given. But…” He paused a moment. “I don’t think you should count on Chat Noir’s assistance tonight. Plagg is with me- he brought a message saying Chat Noir can’t transform right now, it’s too dangerous.”

Marinette’s heart started pounding. “But Master Fu, I can’t go up against Hawk Moth alone!” she whispered desperately.

“Didn’t I just say you could have help if you wanted it?” He smiled and patted the handle of the rolling icebox he had with him. 

Marinette gulped and nodded. “Ok, Master Fu. I trust you.”

“And I trust you. And remember,” he said, fixing her with a steady look, “this is most likely a trap for you. Be wary. Remember what I have taught you about the abilities and, especially, the limitations of your miraculous.”

Marinette nodded. “I’m not likely to forget it.” She tried to put all worries aside. She had a job to do. The problem was, she didn’t know what Hawk Moth had planned. She could only react, and that didn’t make her feel any more confident about her chances of victory, especially since she now knew Chat Noir wouldn’t be watching her back.

She went down into a subway station to use the bathroom there- she figured it would be more deserted than the bathrooms of the businesses around the Eiffel Tower that had stayed open to serve the vigilers.

She picked out a stall and transformed into Ladybug, then looked around cautiously before emerging. She ran up the subway stairs and swung herself up onto the roofs as soon as she was outside again.

She took a moment to check her bug-phone. Despite Master Fu’s warning that she couldn’t rely on Chat Noir, she wanted to see if maybe he had left a message or something. But there was nothing. Then she took another deep breath and swung herself out into the night air.

She heard the dopplered noise of the gathered crowd noticing Ladybug’s arrival as she swung over their heads, but her attention was focused on the Eiffel Tower. There was only one helicopter circling it, probably loaded with a news crew. Marinette flung herself up the side of the pyramidal tower until she reached the middle observation deck that also had the souveneir shop. Then she stepped to the edge so she was illuminated by the spotlights on the tower. Now, all she could do was wait.


	5. Chapter 5

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news. Hello, I’m Nadja Chamack and I am reporting live from the Eiffel Tower tonight, where several hundred Parisians have gathered to hold a candlelight vigil for teen model Adrien Agreste, son of the famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, who was taken captive by Hawk Moth earlier today. The vigil was orchestrated by several of Adrien Agreste’s classmates at the Franciose Dupont High School here in Paris, and attended by his teacher Miss Bustier and the principal, Mr. Damocles. 

In a video released earlier today, Paris learned one of it’s golden boys had been taken captive by the infamous villain Hawk Moth, who has previously terrorized our city with his akuma victims, spreading chaos and fear, in order to acquire the miraculous jewels of Paris’ own superhero team, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Today he changed tactics by demanding the superheroes turn over their miraculous to him by midnight tonight in order to secure Adrien Agreste’s release. No one has seen or heard from Ladybug or Chat Noir since the video was released, but- Oh! There she is!

Viewers, Ladybug has just scaled the Eiffel Tower at a little past 11:15 pm. There is no sign of Chat Noir as of yet, nor of the other superheroes who sometimes assist the famous duo, Rena Rouge and Carapace. It remains to be seen whether a confrontation will occur, but we remain hopeful that Ladybug and Chat Noir will triumph tonight as they have in the past.”

“Wait. I’m getting reports of some sort of flying platform over the city, heading towards the Eiffel Tower. Yes, there it is, you can just barely see the outline against the stars. Ladies and gentlemen, this craft is massive and it’s moving fast. It’s coming to a stop in front of Ladybug’s position on the North side of the Tower. Our helicopter team is moving in for a closer view. Yes, Hawk Moth is there, and we have caught sight of Adrien Agreste being held by unknown persons, presumably in league with Hawk Moth.

Ladybug is swinging into action! She is using her yo-yo to yank people off the massive hovercraft, but Hawk Moth is charging her! No! She dodged at the last second. The people holding Adrien have wrestled him to the deck, and Ladybug is fighting Hawk Moth directly. She hasn’t used her Lucky Charm yet… Oh! A lucky hit from Hawk Moth sent her tumbling, but she used her yo-yo to avert a fall. She’s back up, but Hawk Moth is closing in and has people behind him.

It’s unclear if these are akumatized victims, or if they are simply henchmen. Ladybug is dodging every hit. Still no sign of Cat Noir or any of the other superheros who call Paris home.”

\----

Alya watched the live-feed on her phone breathlessly, clinging tight to Nino’s hand. They were right there in front of the action, but the news channel helicopter was closer. Ladybug hadn’t contacted her since the video was first aired, and she was afraid that without any backup at all, Ladybug would fail. But she didn’t know where to get the fox miraculous she had used before as Rena Rouge. Nino scooted closer and put an arm around her shoulder. They exchanged worried glances.

Just then, a black octagonal box with a red chinese design stamped on top landed in Alya’s lap. Another followed a moment later, bouncing off Nino’s cap. Alya gasped and grabbed her box. She was just about to open it when Nino put his hand on top of hers and shook his head.

“Not here, lady mine. Let’s roll.”

“For sure. See you soon!”

They separated and melted into the crowd to find a private place to transform.

From a few feet away, Master Fu smiled and nodded to himself. He might have to reconsider letting a few more miraculouses live away from the miracle box. These two had proven their loyalty and trustworthiness over and over, and if they succeeded tonight… well. He would have to think about it.

\----

Ladybug found herself hard pressed. She couldn’t get anywhere close to Adrien, and Hawk Moth wasn’t holding anything back. He had at least one akumatized victim on the hovercraft, and several others who looked to be ordinary hired muscle. She couldn’t fend them off and make any headway herself, and everytime she thought she had some breathing space, Hawk Moth was too close for comfort and reaching for her ears.

She was really missing Chat Noir- having someone to watch her back was comforting even though he didn’t always do what she would have done- but at least this time she didn’t have to fight him as well, as had happened in other battles over the last several months.

Suddenly Rena Rouge and Carapace were there, flinging themselves into the fray and taking a lot of the pressure off of her. Ladybug sent a silent thank you Master Fu’s way, and got back to back with Rena while Carapace shielded them both.

“Thanks guys,” Ladybug huffed.

“Our pleasure, Ladybug,” Rena replied. “What’s the plan?”

“I’ve got to get Adrien out of here. Once he’s gone Hawk Moth has to retreat. And I think it might just be time for a little luck. Lucky charm!” Ladybug flung her yo-yo up in the air, releasing the magical ladybugs that formed the item she needed most at that particular moment.

Into her hands dropped a… remote control race car. Ladybug looked around for clues how to use it, and noticed several of the henchmen’s feet. Of course! She quickly told Rena and Carapace what to do and then took the control of the car and set it down on the hovercraft.

Ten seconds, fifteen at the most, of sheer mayhem ensued as Rena duplicated the appearance of the remote control car and Ladybug steered it strategically to cause as many henchmen as possible to fall over or into each other while Carapace protected her from assaults from Hawk Moth. In the back of her mind she did wonder where Mayura was, though. They didn’t face her often, but surely she would have come as back-up to Hawk Moth? But there was no time to think about that. She saw her opportunity and took it.

Carapace let his shield drop and the three of them sprinted down the length of the hovercraft, leaping over fallen henchmen and making sure some of them stayed down on their way through. Ladybug made sure to grab the real remote car from under a henchmen’s foot as they advanced. Adrien was still restrained by two henchmen, but they were no match for the enhanced strength of the superheroes and were easily defeated. 

Ladybug basically tackled Adrien off the hovercraft, flinging her yo-yo as they fell, and swinging them away from the Eiffel Tower as quickly as possible. She glanced back to see Rena and Carapace also abandoning the hovercraft. There was no sign of Hawk Moth anymore, and she did a quick sweep of the areas to the side and ahead of her projected path, but it was too dark to see much, even with the illumination from street lamps and the area around the Tower.

She landed on a rooftop far from the tower and set Adrien on his feet, then flung the toy car into the air, shouting “Miraculous Ladybug!” A cloud of pink and white ladybugs exploded from the car, rushing up and away to repair any damage that might have been done. She hadn’t captured any akumas this time, which bothered her a little, but the important thing was getting Adrien away from Hawk Moth, and she’d accomplished that.

“Thanks, Ladybug,” Adrien said, hands resting on his knees as he bent over panting. “I was hoping you’d come through for me. But we have to get back to my house! Hawk Moth has my father as well- this lady wearing a peacock outfit is guarding him.”

“Oh! But… I’m about to change back.” That explained Mayura’s absence. Something felt a little off, though. 

“Please, Ladybug! I can’t leave my father there!”

“I know, I know. Just… wait here, ok? It won’t take a minute.”

She darted behind a chimney stack just in time. Tikki appeared and Marinette lost no time handing her a macaroon from her purse. Tikki gulped it down, and Marinette transformed back into Ladybug again.

She leaped over the chimney stack to find Adrien slumped against the opposite side with his head in his hands.

“Adrien! Are you ok? They didn’t hurt you, did they? My ladybugs should have fixed that…” she mused, even as she hurried to his side.

“No! No, I’m ok. I’m just… worried.” He looked at her with such pleading that she impulsively reached out and touched his shoulder. 

“It’ll be okay. I’ll get your father away, too. Don’t worry! My friends and I defeated Hawk Moth, we can handle Mayura!”

Adrien suddenly caught her in a tight hug and whispered “Thank you, Ladybug,” so close to her ear that Ladybug blushed. She was about to gently push him away when he pecked her on the cheek.... And sleep overcame her so quickly she had no time for any thoughts at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know I'm terrible at writing fight scenes. This was the best I could do.


	6. Chapter 6

Adrien jerked awake to find himself still tied to the chair he’d been in all afternoon and evening. His memories were fuzzy at first, but quickly sharpened when he recognized the tall dark figure standing a few feet in front of him. Earlier in the evening they’d moved everything into the butterfly chamber, and it soon became apparent that this was where his father conducted the business of Hawk Moth, sending out akumas whenever he felt strong negative emotions.

He glanced around, trying to discover if his father’s plan had actually worked. He had a sinking feeling that it had. Earlier, his father had brought Lila, of all people, into the butterfly chamber and akumatized her. Adrien hadn’t been close enough to hear what they said to each other, but Lila was soon engulfed in roiling purple-black smoke. Yet when it faded, she appeared to be the same, ordinary girl she had been before. Then she turned her head and smiled at him with such a sly look in her eyes that Adrien’s mouth went dry.

Then she had sauntered over and casually leaned over him with one hand on the back of his chair. “Hi, Adrien! I’m so glad I got to see you today!”

“Lila, whatever… Hawk Moth... has told you, whatever he promised, please, please, don’t listen to him.”

“Oh, Adrien,” she laughed. “You really don’t know me at all, do you? You’ve been remarkably resistant to me, but I always get my way, and Hawk Moth has promised to make you love me if I help him destroy Ladybug and Chat Noir. And I must say, it’s really going to be my pleasure.” She leaned closer and her voice betrayed anger. “I can’t stand those two, always lecturing and moralizing. Like they have the right to tell me how to behave. Ha! And yes, I know you have a thing for Ladybug, but don’t worry,” she purred, putting a finger on his lips. “By the time Hawk Moth is through with you, you won’t even remember she existed.”

After that, all Adrien remembered was a cool touch on his cheek before slipping into oblivion. Remembering now, it was obvious that Hawk Moth had turned Lila into Chameleon again. He must have used her power to assume anyone’s form with a kiss- thereby putting the original to sleep- to trick Ladybug and anyone else helping her into thinking that Adrien was at the Eiffel Tower with Hawk Moth. And if Adrien was now awake, that meant Lila had taken someone else’s form. He could only hope it wasn’t Ladybug’s, but his father’s sadistic grin sent a cold shiver down his spine.

\----

It took long enough for Lila to return that Adrien wore out his anxiety and started dozing in his chair. In between fits of head bobbing, he wondered if his father ever planned to release him from it. After refusing to help Hawk Moth voluntarily, he wondered if his father would ever forgive him, or if… he couldn’t really think past that horrible if. It was too late, too much had happened, and his worry for Ladybug was returning in full force.

He couldn’t stand not being able to get up, transform into Chat Noir, and rush to her side. More than anything he wanted to be out in the free air again, running around on roof tops, using his stick to vault over obstacles, and fighting evil by his lady’s side. He tried to control himself, and not give away just how jittery he was getting. He kept his head low and tried to overhear as much as he could, but Hawk Moth and Nathalie were standing just far enough away that he could only hear murmurs. His bodyguard, still standing sentinel behind him, was silent as always. Adrien wondered if the man had always known that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth, as Nathalie seemed to, or if his father had changed him somehow to make him obedient. Either way, there was no way Adrien could escape at the moment.

At least he’d sent Plagg away earlier in the evening. He’d dropped his head to his chest, pretending to be overcome with despair, but really he’d used the opportunity to whisper instructions to the kwami hidden in his shirt. He’d told Plagg to alert Master Fu, and then to find Ladybug and follow her, help her if necessary. He didn’t know if Plagg had found her in time, but he didn’t think the lazy kwami would have refused to help if he found her. According to Master Fu, Plagg had helped Ladybug before without Adrien, when Chloe’s mother had been akumatized into Style Queen and had turned Adrien himself into a glitter statue. That was not Adrien’s favorite memory- well, except for the part where Ladybug had carried him back to the fashion show venue- but it had led to useful information: kwamis could and would use their powers on their own, without their partner, if necessary. But he’d sent Plagg off before Lila had shown up, so Plagg wouldn’t know about Chameleon.

His waiting finally came to an end. The lift opened and two Ladybugs rose up on the platform. One was asleep, carried in the arms of the other, and Adrien’s heart dropped into his stomach again. “No,” he whispered.

His father and Nathalie came closer to him as they approached Chameleon.

“Excellent work,” his father praised, and the faux Ladybug smirked. “But you could have just taken her miraculous and brought them.”

Chameleon’s eyes slid toward Adrien. “But I thought you wanted the maximum effect? Don’t you think Adrien would like to see the girl under the mask?” she asked sweetly.

Adrien glared at her and ground his teeth. The last thing he wanted was for Ladybug to be unmasked right in front of him. Well… of course, he wanted to know Ladybug’s secret identity. He’d daydreamed countless times about different situations when Ladybug would choose to reveal herself to him, trust him with her identity the way he was ready to trust his to her, if only she would allow it. But never, not ever, had he imagined this situation, with Ladybug defenseless, himself unable to intervene, and about to discover who his ladylove was in ordinary life only because she was about to lose her precious miraculous earrings to the enemy. Who was also his father.

Hawk Moth raised a contemplative hand to his chin, supporting his elbow with the hand that held his cane. “Once again, I must tell you that your psychological potential is extraordinary, Lila. I do believe you are right. Come Nathalie. Let’s add some salt to these wounds.”

He snapped his fingers, and Adrien’s bodyguard came around from behind him with another chair that he placed facing Adrien just a few feet away. Meanwhile Chameleon put the sleeping Ladybug in the chair, and Nathalie came around and placed a stand next to Adrien’s chair, fixing her tablet securely to it for recording purposes.

“Nathalie!” he hissed. She glanced at him, impassive as always. “Don’t do this! Please! I know you’re better than this!” Nathalie just blinked at him, tapped something on the tablet and said, “Ready to record, Hawk Moth.”

Adrien looked back at Ladybug, now tied to her chair as securely as he was, arms and legs both. Her head rested on her chest, which rose and fell in the gentle motions of deep slumber. Hawk Moth took up a position behind her, ready to take her earrings at any moment.

Desperately, Adrien shouted, “Father! I’m begging you, don’t do this! Ladybug is a hero, you can’t just take that away from her! Please! Mother wouldn’t have wanted this, you know she wouldn’t!”

He didn’t notice Chameleon’s start of surprise, or her swift glance of speculation towards Hawk Moth, but he did see his father’s head snap up with a light of fury in his eyes. Inwardly he quailed. He was so used to dancing on eggshells around his father that his first impulse was to back down and apologize, but he caught himself at the last moment.

“And what would you know about it, Adrien? I promised your mother to do whatever it took… and this is what it takes!” He nodded to Nathalie to begin recording, but to everyone’s surprise, Chameleon stepped forward and said, “Wait.”

Adrien’s head snapped around and he stared at her with renewed hope. But she gave him a cruel smile that looked awful on her current Ladybug face, a smile straight out of his worst nightmare, and said, “Could you take away your akuma first, Hawk Moth? I think Ladybug should know who it was who destroyed her secret identity. Don’t you think the despair would be… delicious?”

Hawk Moth chuckled softly. “A worthy request, my dear. I will grant it.” He released the akuma from the false Ladybug and the image bubbled away in purple-black smoke, leaving Lila standing there. She stepped back as Ladybug suddenly tried to sit bolt upright, eyes wide with alarm. Her eyes darted around to every face she could see, and Adrien struggled against his bonds, trying to snap them at the last second to rescue her. He kept struggling, even trying to lift the chair and walk with it, only for his bodyguard to pull him back down with a single hand.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Adrien said to himself. As if in slow motion he watched as Ladybug registered recognition for Lila, himself, and then Nathalie, all while Hawk Moth’s hands moved toward Ladybugs ears. Ladybug looked back to him, eyes wide with panic, and he shouted, “Behind you!”

Craning her neck around to see what was going on, Ladybug tried to squirm away, panic in every line of her expression.

All of a sudden, she jerked her head forward as far as possible, squeezed her eyes shut, and screamed, “Spots off! Go, Tikki, get away from here!!”

With a blinding flash, something small and red flew in a spiral out of her earring, paused no more than an instant, then flitted up through the ceiling, and suddenly Marinette Dupain-Cheng sat bound in the chair where Ladybug had been a moment before. Adrien gaped at her.

Dimly, Adrien heard his father screaming in rage. “What? No. No! Catch that kwami!” Adrien heard the words, but he couldn’t process them at the moment. He was trying to come to grips with the fact that the Ladybug he knew and loved was actually his friend Marinette, but the shocks just kept coming.

Hawk Moth pulled her chair partially around to face him and grabbed the back of her head with one hand. “Bring it back. Bring it back!” he snarled. She shook her head. 

Hawk Moth gritted his teeth and growled, “Your family… they’re the bakers, right? Well, I have an urgent order for them. Nathalie! Don’t you think we should have some macaroons to celebrate? Bring me a family size pack! Now!

Adrien shouted, “NO! Father, don’t!” He saw Nathalie step forward, transform into Mayura, and turn to leave. “Nathalie don’t do this!”

“Bring your kwami back, now! Or I swear I will take your family and tear them apart in front of you!”

“FATHER STOP!”

Marinette was sobbing, tears rolling down her cheeks, but she managed to say, shakily, “I c-can’t. She c-can’t hear m-me anymore. P-please.”

Hawk Moth ground his teeth. “Lila! We need some more hostages, I think. What’s her name- your best friend, girl- Cesaire, isn’t it? Alya Cesaire?”

Marinette sobbed harder. “No…” she whimpered.

“If you can’t bring your kwami back, I can still use you for bait. I’m recording this, and I will post this video online, along with a demand for the other miraculous holders to show themselves. And with your family and your close friends at stake, they’ll have to! Go, Lila!”

Adrien couldn’t stand it. He could not stand being helpless, having to watch as his friend, the first friend he’d ever made himself had her life ripped apart in front of him. Incredible as it was, she was Ladybug, his Ladybug, and she was in trouble and he could do nothing. Where, oh where was Plagg?

“Where did your kwami go? I’m sure you know, you must know! Tell me!”

“I… I d-don’t… k-know.”

“I will kill your mother first. Slowly.”

“I DON’T KNOW!” she screamed, face a twisted mask of fear and pain and horror. Adrien squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t bear to watch.

“Father, no,” he moaned. “Don’t, please don’t… don’t do this. Stop. Please stop. DON’T YOU THINK SHE WOULD TELL YOU IF SHE KNEW?!” he screamed. Hawk Moth glared at him. Adrien gulped a breath and said again, “Don’t you think she would tell you if she knew? Look at her!” He shot Marinette a frantic glance. “She’s so scared, father. She would tell you if she knew.” His eyes were drawn back to her face. “I’m sorry, Ladybug… Marinette. I’m so, so sorry. But I’m right, aren’t I? You would tell him if you could.” 

Shaking, trying to suppress her tears, she nodded. But she wouldn’t look at him. Adrien didn’t blame her. How could he blame her for any of this? This was his fault, all his fault. He should have transformed into Chat Noir the moment he knew his father was Hawk Moth and ended it then and there with his cataclysm.

Hawk Moth yanked the darkened studs of Marinette’s earrings out, making her hiss and bite her lip. He was seething with anger. 

“You foolish girl. I would have let you go once I had your earrings. But now! Now I will make you wish you’d never put on the Ladybug earrings! If your interference costs me my chance, I will never forgive you! Never!” His father paused for a heaving breath, and rage-filled eyes met Adrien’s over Marinette’s bowed head. Then he turned and stalked away to stand alone in the middle of a carpet of white butterflies.

Marinette kept her head bowed, still shaking in reaction, eyes tightly shut. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, and in profile it was easy to tell she was suppressing sobs. Adrien was back to trying to wrap his head around the fact that Ladybug was Marinette and Marinette was Ladybug. He couldn’t quite put the two together and make them stick. Nathalie’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he realized his father had called Nathalie for an update.

“The bakery is empty, and so is the apartment.” A murmur he couldn’t hear from his father. “No, I searched the area where the vigil was held. I know they were there earlier, but it’s deserted now.” Another murmur, longer this time. “Alright. I’ll hide myself in the apartment. Whenever they get back I’ll be there to surprise them.” 

Marinette’s shudder caught Adrien’s attention. And that was when he finally saw Plagg, staring at him with horrified green eyes from beneath Marinette’s chair. Adrien quickly waved him off. His father might be distracted, but it was too dangerous for Plagg to show himself. He had no plan of how to get out- using the lift would take too long, and he had no idea what kind of hidden passages and corridors they would encounter, even supposing he could free both of them. It would take a cataclysm just to undo the ropes, and he didn’t even have his ring.

“Fine. But call me back immediately if you need me.”

“Hear that, Ladybug?” Lila sauntered over, mocking cruelly. “Your perfect little world is about to come crashing down… and you have only yourself to blame. After all, if you didn’t have such a pathetic crush on Adrien, you might have stood a fighting chance at avoiding my kiss earlier. I’m going to make sure your parents get here so you can personally see the disappointment on their faces at your failure.”

Adrien felt such a powerful surge of anger he thought he might actually explode. Her reference to a crush flew right past him, lost in what he thought of as Lila’s typical lies. “I can’t believe I was ever willing to be your friend, Lila,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “I should have listened to Ladybug from the beginning.”

Lila laughed and sauntered away, apparently not bothered at all that she had failed to do as Hawk Moth commanded her. It looked like Alya, at least, would be safe tonight. But Marinette’s family, those nice people who had always been so welcoming to him, in either of his personas...

He wanted to say something to Marinette, to find some magic words to comfort her, but... what could he possibly say to her? It was all his fault she was even here. He slumped down as much as he could, closing his eyes and trying to convince himself this wasn’t going to end in disaster.

If he’d only paid more attention to his father and what he was doing instead of trying to sneak out so much, he might have figured out that his own father was the supervillain everyone in Paris was afraid of. He and Ladybug could have defeated Hawk Moth long ago, if only Adrien hadn’t been such a blind idiot. He thought back to a couple of months earlier, when Ladybug had told him she suspected his father of being Hawk Moth. He hadn’t wanted to believe it, but his own experience told him it could be true. But then they’d had to fight The Collector, the akumatized version of his father, and he’d been convinced it wasn’t true, that his father couldn’t have been akumatized if he was actually Hawk Moth. At the time he’d been so relieved… but now he could only see himself as a fool.


	7. Chapter 7

Marinette sagged against the ropes, trying desperately not to give in to despair. Her initial hysterics had worn themselves out, leaving an emptiness behind them. She’d failed. Utterly failed. Hawk Moth had her miraculous, Tikki was gone, Adrien was still captive, her secret identity wasn’t going to be a secret for much longer, and now Hawk Moth was after her family and friends. And no one knew where she was, not Master Fu, not her parents, not any of her other friends, superhero or otherwise. She had no doubt that Lila would make good on her promise to bring in her parents. And if she didn’t, Hawk Moth could still use her and Adrien as bait for the other miraculous holders. Where, oh where was Chat Noir?!

She could only hope that Tikki would fly far and fast and not stop until she was on the other side of the world, but… part of her wished with all her heart that Tikki would go straight to Master Fu... or that she would come back to help her.

She’d heard what Adrien had said to Lila, so at least there was no fear that Adrien was secretly in league with the bad guys, but neither one of them could escape, so that hardly mattered. Not to mention that Adrien would never look at her the same again, now that he knew she was- had been- Ladybug. He hated lying, and liars. How could she hope for anything better than Lila had gotten from him, when she’d been lying to him and to everyone since she’d met him?

Her earlobes stung where Hawk Moth had none-too-gently ripped the miraculous studs out. She glanced briefly at Adrien, just to see if he already hated her, too, but he’d lost the look of rage and now sat slumped with closed eyes and a woebegone expression. Marinette’s eyes filled with tears again.

“I’m sorry, Adrien,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Adrien’s eyes popped open. “You’re sorry?” he said incredulously. “Marinette… none of this is your fault! If anything, it’s my fault! I should’ve figured out my father was Hawk Moth a long time ago, I should’ve…” he trailed off and shook his head, his eyes sagging shut again. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.”

It took a minute, but his words finally penetrated Marinette’s fog of misery. “Your father... is Hawk Moth?” she said in genuine horror. Here was another failure- she’d actually suspected Gabriel Agreste once, but… “B-but he was The Collector! He got akumatized himself! How…?”

Adrien just shook his head sadly. “I don’t know how he did it, but he is definitely Hawk Moth.”

Marinette shivered, eyes wide. “That’s… horrible. I’m so sorry, Adrien.”

He sighed. “You keep apologizing. It’s really not your fault, Marinette.” Suddenly he smiled a tiny smile. “You’re good at keeping secrets, I’ll tell you that. I had no idea you were Ladybug.”

Marinette looked away. “I’m sorry about that, too,” she whispered. “No one was ever supposed to know.”

\----

Adrien bit his lip and considered telling her he was also Chat Noir, but decided against it. His father might be convinced he was, and he might not have his ring anymore, but as long as Adrien didn’t admit it where his father could hear, or transform in front of him, Adrien could claim he wasn’t really Chat Noir. But did he want to? He could finally confess to Ladybug- Marinette- who he really was. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

Not right now it wouldn’t, he decided. They had no escape plan, no allies, no superpowers, and no idea how to defeat Hawk Moth once and for all. Best if he kept his mouth shut a while longer. Instead he said, “It’s okay. I understand why you had to keep it a secret.” He paused a moment. “It makes sense, though, the more I think about it. You and Ladybug have a lot in common.”

Marinette still wouldn’t look at him, but he saw a smile start before it faded away again. Adrien’s heart sank. Maybe trying to cheer her up wasn’t a great idea at this moment when they were still in danger, but he couldn’t do anything else, and apparently he wasn’t even very good at that. Instead he fell to thinking about how they could possibly escape. With Plagg free and here, it wasn’t an impossibility anymore, but he had to wait for the right moment.

“So…” he said, hesitating. “I know you don’t have superpowers right now, but… I know what my f- Hawk Moth wants your miraculous for. Do… do you want to hear it?”

Marinette finally raised her head and blinked at him, frowning. “What does it matter? I can’t stop him anymore, and Chat Noir... “ she trailed off, bitterly. He could see the thoughts plain on her face, she was definitely blaming herself for what happened.

“Maybe you don’t have superpowers, but ordinary people can do a lot all on their own. And you have pretty good ideas even when you’re not being Ladybug.”

Marinette sighed. “Sure. Why not? Nothing else can go wrong, so I might as well know the worst that’s going to happen.”

Adrien’s face fell. But a moment later, she sighed again and said, “I’m sorry, Adrien, I know you’re trying to help. I’ll listen.”

Adrien gave her a small sympathetic smile, but then it fell away. “It’s… it’s my mother,” he said, a heaviness in his voice that hadn’t been there before. “She… didn’t disappear. She died. My father didn’t tell anyone, instead he froze her body so he could find a way to bring her back to life.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Oh my god... Adrien…!”

It was Adrien’s turn to start shaking. He looked away, ashamed by his reaction. “He wanted me to help him. That’s how… how I ended up in this chair.” The grin he gave her was truly pathetic. “He said that since his akumas had failed, he needed bait to lure Ladybug into a trap. I don’t know what his plan would have been if I had agreed, but... I don’t think I want to know.” He looked down again. “I’m really sorry, Ladybug. I can’t ever make this right.”

\----

Despite herself, Marinette felt her own guilt and grief retreat, at least enough to let her feel for Adrien.

“Why didn’t you help?” she asked softly. “I’m not sure I could have said no. Not if it was my mom.” Images of her own mother flitted through her brain, baking, playing video games, hugs and gentle touches in daily life...

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut. “I miss her,” he said in a stifled voice. “So much! And father… father hasn’t been the same since she dis- since she died. He wasn’t always as cold as he is now, you know. But… but mother wouldn’t have wanted any of this!” He shook his head emphatically, voice suddenly stronger. “Father becoming a super villain, hurting so many people? Trying to steal from superheroes… she would never have agreed to that! I… I wanted to say yes. But I couldn’t. She wouldn’t want me to.” His face twisted in pain he couldn’t express.

Marinette’s heart went out to him. “I can’t imagine you making any other choice. But it’s awful that you had to make it at all.”

Adrien looked at her, his gorgeous green eyes so full of pain that Marinette longed to reach out and give him a hug. She’d been in love with him for so long, she’d often daydreamed about him needing her comfort for some little thing, growing closer to him until he realized he loved her as much as she loved him. But now that the moment was here and they really were sharing the same pain, it went beyond daydreaming. Marinette wanted to give him comfort not because she wanted him to love her, but because she loved him, plain and simple. She couldn’t see his pain and not try to help.

“I think she’d be proud of you,” she said softly, and managed a smile for his sake. It was the best she could do for now.


	8. Chapter 8

Hawk Moth listened to the quiet voices behind him and ignored Lila, who was trying to attract his attention. He admired Lila’s psychological insights and talents, but though he had promised, as Hawk Moth, to make Adrien love her he had no intention of actually doing so. Lila was a tool, and a dangerously ambitious one. He intended to use her as long as she was useful, and drop her as soon as she wasn’t anymore. It was inconvenient that she now knew his true identity, but that could be dealt with.

In fact, he was regretting his rage-fueled loss of control with every passing minute. He’d foolishly committed himself to a course of action that would destroy any chance of getting Ladybug, or his son for that matter, to cooperate willingly.

Well. Perhaps there was a way around that. If he could convince the Marinette girl to help him revive Emilie, she could take care of finding the Ladybug kwami, and then he would have a useful miraculous under his control again. Better still, he could use Marinette to convince Adrien to help and then… he would have what he needed at last.

The thought was as good as the deed. He turned on one heel and marched back toward the two captured teenagers. He decided to go ahead and call Nathalie back. Having her wait outside the Dupain-Cheng residence was impractical, and calling her back would give him a measure of reliability and help him prove that he was willing to negotiate. He used Hawk Moth’s peculiar mental abilities to contact her directly.

“Mayura, I’ve decided we don’t need hostages… just yet. I’d like you to come back for now. We can always fetch them later if need be.” Willing to negotiate only counted if you had something to negotiate with, after all.

His son glared at him, and he wondered just how long it would take Adrien to forgive him. He knew Adrien had held Ladybug in high regard, and it would surely take a long time for him to get past his sense of betrayal. He didn’t worry about it, though. Once Emilie was back in their lives, Adrien would swiftly get over his disappointment with his father.

“I… apologize for my rough treatment of you, Ladybug,” he said stiffly. “I was… very angry. But after thinking it over, I think I might be able to change your mind about my motives. I want to show you something.”

He motioned to the bodyguard, who untied first Adrien and then Marinette. Hawk Moth offered Marinette his hand to stand, but she refused it, glaring at him through lingering tears. Adrien took a moment to massage his arms and legs before standing, and when he did, he offered a hand to Marinette. Hawk Moth watched her expression very closely. There was definitely some attraction there, but he’d noted that before. What was more telling was the soft, worried look of her eyes when she looked at his son. 

“I’m sure you think the worst of me, Miss Dupain-Cheng, but I assure you, my motives are the purest. I’m really not planning on having you murdered and thrown in a pit.” He waved his hand toward a door Adrien hadn’t noticed before, probably because his back had been turned toward it.

“You’re right,” Marinette said, in a voice surprisingly strong for someone who had been weeping in hysterical fear not too long ago. “I don’t think very highly of a man who would use his own son against an enemy. Much less do I think of him who puts his own son in danger repeatedly just to gain an advantage! And that’s not even considering how many people you’ve hurt with your akumas!”

Marinette had taken Adrien’s hand and risen while Hawk Moth’s attention was on the door. She was still holding it. Or maybe he was holding her hand, he mused, watching Adrien watching her.

“Bold words... for someone with no more superpowers,” Hawk Moth said mildly, smiling at her. She clenched her right hand into a fist. Adrien, surprisingly, helped him out.

“I think he just wants to show you my mother,” Adrien said quietly.

Hawk Moth narrowed his eyes. That Adrien had told Marinette what he had planned wasn’t a good sign in favor of him coming around to his father’s point of view. It might be best to separate them now, but… having Adrien along might make her more tractable. If she could see his sadness as clearly as his father could, it might help to persuade her.

Marinette looked at Adrien for a long moment, then nodded. Then, as if each realized at the same moment that they were still holding hands, they let go of each other and Hawk Moth noted the flush on both cheeks. He ignored it for now. 

He nodded to Adrien’s bodyguard, then led the way to the door. It led to a small circular elevator, which they rode down separately, he and Marinette, whom he wanted to keep under his own control, and then Adrien with his bodyguard.

The walls of the elevator were transparent and as they descended, he watched the girl’s expressive face. At first she was stubbornly frowning, but as the chamber came into sight, he saw her eyes widen, her mouth open slightly, and an expression of sadness and wonder appear.

Once they were out of the elevator, Hawk Moth gestured to the side and said, “We’ll wait for my son here, if you don’t mind.”

Marinette instead walked forward to the railing and leaned on it, staring at the illuminated garden further down the walkway. “You really loved her, didn’t you?” she asked.

Hawk Moth felt the familiar surge of grief and love and said, “I still do.”


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette turned around when she heard the elevator stop. She was expecting Adrien to be distraught, and he did have a frown, but she was pretty sure he winked at her, too.

“Shall we?” Hawk Moth murmured from behind them, and they started down the walkway toward the garden. As they got closer Marinette could see that the centerpiece of the garden was some kind of gold and glass capsule. Closer yet and she could see a person inside. She glanced at Adrien. This time he didn’t just look sad, he looked stricken. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Behind them, Hawk Moth smiled to himself.

When they got to the end of the walkway, they spread out to surround the capsule. Hawk Moth let out a sigh and said, “Dark Wings fall.”

Gabriel Agreste watched the girl’s face to see her reaction. No shock, but disappointment. Well, he knew Adrien had told her. He gestured toward the capsule and said, “This… is Emilie. My wife, my son’s mother.” He closed his eyes and made a fist. “Surely now you can understand why I have to have your miraculous and Chat Noir’s as well! I need them! I need them to bring her… back.”

Marinette looked at the woman in the capsule. She was tall, with the same golden hair as Adrien. She was wearing an exquisite white suit, and looked as if she were merely asleep. The woman’s eyes were closed, but Marinette already knew Adrien had gotten his green eyes from her as well.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she found herself saying, in a softer voice. “I really am. But you’ve spread so much fear and terror… that’s not the way to bring back what you love! Can’t you see that your grief has twisted your heart? If you did bring her back, using my miraculous and Cat Noir’s ring, would your wife even recognize you anymore?”

Adrien was staring at her, she could feel it, but Marinette kept her attention on his father. His face hardened at her words, instead of softening as she’d hoped it would.

“And what about Adrien,” Gabriel said. “Don’t you think my son deserves to have his mother back? She loved him… so much.” He actually closed his eyes and his expression spasmed with intense emotion he wasn’t willing to show.

Marinette looked at Adrien. He moved toward the capsule. “And I loved her, Father.” He put his left hand on the glass as if he could touch her. “I miss her every day.” He took a deep breath. “And you haven’t been the same since she dis- died. I didn’t want to disappoint you, so I just… did everything you wanted. But I can’t do this. I can’t.” His shoulders slumped and he bowed his head down to the glass. “I’m sorry, mom. I just can’t do it.”

Marinette looked back at Gabriel and saw a snarl there that filled her with foreboding. “And if you can’t,” he bit out, “perhaps your friend here has more sense!”

He grabbed Adrien’s shirt and pulled him up and to him at the same time Adrien’s bodyguard seized Marinette.

“No!” Marinette and Adrien shouted simultaneously, but it was too late. They were separated and all but defenseless. Gabriel caught his son in a headlock, while his son’s bodyguard kept Marinette still by the simple expedient of hugging her in his massive arms.

“Now, Miss Dupain-Cheng, call back your kwami, or I swear, I will make Adrien pay.” 

Adrien saw the look of horror and despair pass over Marinette’s face, and if he hadn’t known about Plagg’s presence he would have felt the same. Even so, his heart felt like it was being torn in two with the knowledge of how evil his father had become. Then his father bent and hissed in his ear. “And if you don’t get your own kwami back, Marinette will be but a memory to you, son.”

That was the last straw. “Plagg, now!” he called as loud as he could. Almost immediately the floor began to crumble beneath them. His father’s hold on him loosened as they lost their footing, and in a flood of dirt and rubble, everyone fell through the floor screaming. Adrien made himself as small as possible and threw arms over his head to protect it. At the last second he grabbed hold of his father and twisted him underneath his own body to act as a buffer.

As soon as things quit falling, he checked his father. Unconscious but still breathing. Good. As much as Adrien hated him in that moment, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he’d killed his own father. He quickly opened his father’s coat, sticking eager fingers in every pocket he could find. He felt the earrings and ring in one and grabbed them, stuffing the earring in his own pocket, and sliding the ring onto his finger with relief. His fingers fumbled at his father’s throat, searching for the butterfly miraculous brooch, but it wasn’t there. It must have been knocked loose during the fall, he thought. I can’t take the time to search for it right now.

He turned and started making his way through the rubble. “Marinette?” he called, coughing through the dust. “Plagg?”

“Here, Adrien,” came the small voice of the kwami as it rushed up to him. “I did good, didn’t I? I didn’t even kill anyone!”

“You did great. But where’s Marinette?”

“Over here. Don’t worry, she’s not hurt, she’s just stuck.”

The kwami rushed off and Adrien followed, having some trouble tracking the black kwami through all the dust and darkness. What he thought was a pile of dusty rubble turned out to be his bodyguard, still holding Marinette, but knocked out cold himself. His arms were still wrapped around her, and there was a floor beam laying across them. Marinette was trying to shove everything off, but she had no leverage from her position. Adrien rushed to help. “Don’t worry, Marinette, I’ve got this.”

“Adrien,” she gasped. “What… happened?”

Adrien ignored the question for the moment. “Here, I’ll lift the beam, you shove his arms off and crawl out, ok?”

Marinette nodded. “Ok, I’m ready.”

There was a triangular gap between where the beam met the floor and where it rested on his bodyguard and Adrien wedged himself under it and lifted with all his strength. The beam barely budged. Adrien stopped and took a breath. “I’m going to try again.” Again he tried to lift it, but nothing happened. Adrien stopped and crawled out of the gap, looking up the length of the beam. The upper end was wedged between rocks. “It’s wedged. I’ll have to try and move the rocks first.”

“Wait,” Marinette called. “If you can shove this guy over, there won’t be so much pressure on his arm.”

Adrien blinked. “I can try,” he said, although he privately doubted he could move the massive man any more than he could move the beam without further work. He ducked back into the gap, but this time he braced bent legs against a piece of rubble and put his back against his bodyguard. Then he pushed for all he was worth. For the longest time he thought he would break before either the rock or his bodyguard moved. But then he felt the massive form against his back slide just a tiny bit.

“Aren’t you doing this the hard way?” Plagg asked when Adrien took a break from pushing. “Chat Noir could do this in his sleep.”

Adrien goggled at him. The idea hadn’t even crossed his mind. “You’re right. Plagg, claws out!” In a green flash he transformed into Chat Noir and felt all the strength and protection of his magic superhero suit. He braced himself again and pushed, and this time the bodyguard moved at least a foot.

He was about to transform back when he thought about leaving his father and bodyguard here in the pit. He couldn't just leave them behind, no matter how he felt about them. He'd have to leave them up above, and that meant staying Chat Noir for a while longer. Which meant he'd have to come up with some story for Marinette. He didn't want to reveal himself just yet- Marinette had already had a lot of shocks for one day.

He let himself fall into Chat Noir's signature sangfroid, and sauntered out of the gloom. Marinette gasped. "Chat Noir! Where did… oh. Of course. This cave in was your idea, wasn't it."

"I… may have gone a little overboard, but, yes."

"Well, can you help me out?” she said, annoyance in her tone. “I'm stuck."

"Are you?" he said with an arch grin.

"I…" Marinette pushed against the encircling arms and they moved. "Oh. Thank you, Chat Noir. Where's Adrien?"

"Don't worry, he's safe. Come on! I have to get these two back up above. Can't just leave them lying around down here, no matter how much they deserve it."

He helped Marinette stand, then reached under the beam and pulled his bodyguard free of the rubble. Even with Chat Noir's enhanced strength, it took a heave and a ho getting the massive man back up to the level floor. He left him lying by the capsule, taking a moment to be thankful that hadn't been damaged. He'd have to thank Plagg for that later.

Marinette was working her way through the rubble when he hopped back down. "What are you doing?"

"I… lost something. Hawk Moth has it in one of his pockets, I'm nearly sure of it. At least I hope so," she said under her breath. “And we need to get his miraculous, too.”

Chat Noir found himself with a conundrum. He could admit he'd already found her earrings, but that would make her suspicious. He could flat out lie to her, making her think his father still had the earrings and they couldn't stop to look for them. Or…

"Let me look for it," he offered. "I have to take him up there anyway. And I can get his miraculous as well."

"No! I mean… that's nice of you to offer, but… it's kinda personal."

"Marinette, you know I respect your privacy, but this isn't the time to be squeamish. We have to get out of here before they wake up. Just tell me what it is, I promise I won't ask any questions."

"Uh… okay. It's a pair of stud earrings." He could hear the reluctance in her voice, but he was relieved she trusted him enough to give in.

"Got it," he said, then gave her a roguish smile and said, "We haven't even been on a date yet, and you're already asking me for jewelry!" He winked at her indignant expression and leapt away to dig his father out of the rubble. Flirting with her was a normal and welcome distraction from everything else at that moment. Even her typical annoyance was comforting right now.

Once he had his father back on firm ground, he jumped back down to get Marinette to safety. It was so hard to think of her as Ladybug, even though he'd had a while to get used to the idea. He kept thinking she needed his help, but he knew he always relied on Ladybug's quick thinking whenever they fought a villain together. Presumably, Marinette also had a quick mind. He'd have to find out about that.

"Are you sure Adrien is ok?" Was the first thing she asked when he rejoined her. "I can't find him anywhere. And… did you get the earrings? And Hawk Moth’s miraculous?"

"Yes, I got your earrings, but I couldn’t find anything like a miraculous on Mr. Agreste. And yes, Adrien’s fine," he said shortly. Or at least, as fine as I can be, under the circumstances, he thought. He grabbed her hand and was about to lead her off into the dark before he realized he had no idea how to get out. “We need to get out of here before Mayura comes back. Can we go up the same way you all came down?”

"I don’t think so. We’d be bound to run into Mayura.”

"Hmm."

"What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to get us out underground.”

"Why not? And where is Adrien, anyway? Did you take him somewhere? Just go the same way."

Chat Noir looked at her seriously. “Stop worrying about Adrien, I promise he won’t be left behind, alright? But I’ve got to figure a way out."

Chat Noir thought a moment. If he transformed back, Plagg could scout ahead and find a way out for them. But they would probably need Chat Noir's night-sight… he turned and grabbed Marinette’s shoulders.

"Ok. I've got an idea. But… you’re going to have to trust me. Can you do that? I know,” his gaze softened as he looked at her tear-stained face, looking all the worse for the dust and dirt on it. “I know it’s been rough for you tonight. Can you keep it together a little longer?”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Chat Noir, I… have to tell you something.” 

Chat Noir wanted nothing more than for her to confess she was Ladybug to him, but he didn’t think they had the time. Mayura had to be close to the house by now, and might already be inside.

“Can it wait? Just long enough for me to get us all out?”

She nodded, looking a little relieved. “Yes. Let’s go.”

He nodded back and turned back around, grabbing her hand to pull along behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chat Noir’s plan wasn’t complicated… it basically involved following the sewer tunnels until he came to a manhole exit far enough from the house to be safe.

Marinette couldn’t see after a few feet, so he slowed down and told her to keep one hand on the walls. Occasionally he would warn her of a cross tunnel, or something in the way that they needed to climb over. It seemed to take forever, but they finally came to a ladder that looked solid enough for them to climb. Chat Noir went first and pushed the manhole cover up and away, and then they were out in the open air of a quiet Paris street. Dawn was coloring the sky in the east as they emerged.

“I wish I could get up on the rooftops,” Marinette said. “I’d know where we are then. But…” She looked around, increasingly frantic. “Where’s Adrien? You promised me he was safe, don’t tell me you were lying!”

Chat Noir looked at her a moment and made a decision. As much as he wanted Marinette to tell him, as Chat Noir, that she was Ladybug, the time had come to reveal himself. So he simply said, “I’m right here, milady,” and detransformed. Plagg whooshed out of his ring and sprawled on the cobbles, already whining for camembert. Adrien sighed and bent to give him a piece.

When he straightened back up, Marinette was standing there with both hands over her mouth and wide eyes. “Y-you… you?” she gasped. “Adrien? All this time… it was you?”

“Uh,” Adrien smiled uncertainly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes?”

Marinette put her hands up to her head and started pacing, muttering to herself. Adrien watched her, not knowing what to do. But when she suddenly stopped and punched the wall of a building, he rushed forward and caught her in his arms, not wanting her to hurt herself. “Hey, just… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad. But you don’t need a broken hand on top of everything else. Really,” he said earnestly. “I’m sorry. I know this is all my fault.”

“It’s not,” she whispered, shaking again. “It’s not your fault, it’s mine. I’m such a fool!”

Adrien held her, not quite sure what to do. They needed to get out of the street, for one, but… after that? He sighed and whispered “Claws out.” Once he was Chat Noir again, he vaulted both of them up onto the nearest roof, keeping firm hold on Marinette. Once they were out of sight, he put her down and sat down next to her. Uncertainly, he put a hand on her shoulder.

“Marinette? Can you… talk to me? Please?”

She flinched, and he pulled his hand away. It hurt that she was rejecting him now when they finally knew the truth about each other, but… they’d both been through an awful lot that night. 

“Can I try to explain?” he said softly.

“Explain what?” came the muffled reply. She’d pulled her knees up and buried her face in arms wrapped around them. Chat Noir detransformed and then Adrien shut his eyes and leaned back against a chimney stack, pulling his own knees up so he could rest his arms on them.

“This is a disaster,” he said after a moment. “I’ve waited so long to find out who Ladybug actually is, and now… my father ruins even that.”

“No!” Marinette spun around and glared at him, wiping her eyes. “It’s just… arg! Why? Why can’t I just talk to you? Why can’t I say… the most important thing in the world?” Her expression melted from anger to sadness in a heartbeat. “Why can’t I just… tell you?”

He frowned and realized she was shivering. It was chilly in the pre-dawn, especially on the rooftop where there was a breeze. “Come here, you’re shivering,” he said, struggling out of his white button-down shirt and unrolling the sleeves. He handed it to her and she put it on, but didn’t come closer yet. He held out his hand and smiled a little sadly. “I promise I won’t bite. But I think you might be going into shock, and… we need to keep you warm.”

She finally edged closer and he wrapped his arms around her in a side hug. “Is it alright if I transform back into Chat Noir? The suit is warmer than jeans and a t-shirt.” She nodded dumbly. After that he was a bit more comfortable. But Marinette suddenly sat bolt upright. “Chat Noir! I need to borrow your phone. Now! Right now!”

“Uh… ok,” he pulled his stick out and activated the phone. Marinette snatched it from him and dialed a number frantically. “Please, please, please answer,” she whispered, waiting for the ring tones. After a moment, Chat Noir heard someone pick up with his magically enhanced hearing.

“Papa! Oh, thank God. Listen, you have to leave Paris. I don’t know why you’re not home, but you and mom, wherever you are, just turn around and get on a bus!”

“Marinette! Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you, the whole neighborhood has! And what’s this about leaving Paris… is everything alright?”

“No,” she said, clearly holding back more tears. “It’s not alright, and I’m not alright, and Papa- just please, please do what I say. You have to leave. Hawk Moth sent someone to the apartment- you can’t go home. Promise me you won’t go home!”

“What? Marinette what are you talking about? Why would Hawk Moth send someone to our home? What’s going on?”

Chat Noir hugged her tighter, resting his forehead on her head, trying to give her as much comfort as he could.

“Papa, I… I really messed up. And… there’s no point in keeping it secret anymore,” she said. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Chat Noir could feel the tremors fading as she forced herself to relax. “Papa… I’m Ladybug. Yes, I am. Yes, really. And… Hawk Moth captured me tonight, and he knows who I am, and… and Cat Noir and I got away, but… but he sent someone to the apartment to get you and mom, too.”

“Uh… I…”

“Papa, please,” Marinette said. “Promise me you won’t go home, not until you hear from me again. Please.”

“A- alright. I’ll… get us on the first bus out of town. I… Marinette, come w-”

“I love you,” she whispered and hung up the phone. She started shaking harder and he was sure she was going to break down again. But then, she took another deep breath and the tremors stopped again. She dialed another number. Chat Noir found himself grateful for his suit-enhanced hearing, since she didn’t use the video-call feature.

“... hello? … who is this? It’s… ugh, it’s 5:30 in the morning,” a groggy femine voice complained.

“Alya Cesaire,” Marinette said, only her voice sounded different. Instead of shaky and unsure, she sounded… grown up. Adult. Like someone who knew what to do and when to do it. She sounded… like Ladybug.

“... Ladybug?” Alya hesitated. “This… isn’t your usual number.”

“No, it’s not. I… don’t have time to explain. Alya, I need to warn you. Hawk Moth is looking for you, and might target your family as well.”

“What? Why?” Alya’s voice sounded more awake and alert by the moment. Chat Noir leaned closer to hear a little better, curious where Marinette was going to go with this.

“Chat Noir and I… we…” she stopped and bit her lip, which was trembling again. “We’re going to need your help, ok? Not… not right now. But later today. Can you meet us for lunch in the park? With Nino?” Her stomach and Chat Noir’s rumbled at the same time, distracting him from his surprise at her including his best friend. “And can you bring some food for us? We’ve got to stay undercover until then.”

“Uh, yeah, sure, Ladybug. Anything for you two!”

“And…” Marinette started shaking again. “Uh…” she huffed a breath. “There might be… something shocking on the news today. I hope not, but… just… be prepared.”

“Ladybug… what’s going on? Is… is everything ok?”

“... no. Not really. But,” she said resolutely. “It will be. Eventually.”

“O-ok. Um, I guess Nino and I will see you at lunch then.”

“Right. See you then.” She hung up the phone and only then whispered, “I’m so sorry, Alya.”

Then she covered her mouth with one hand and started shaking again with silent sobs. Chat Noir did the best he could, but she didn’t stop crying for a long time.

\----

For a while they didn't say anything. Everytime Chat Noir started to say something, he looked up and saw Marinette's face and stopped. He didn't see her doing the same thing. So instead they watched the sun rise.

Finally Marinette sighed. "You were right… This is a disaster. I’m sorry.”

Chat Noir sighed, too. “I keep telling you it’s not your fault. If I’d…” he bit off the rest of the sentence.

“The point,” Marinette continued, sounding much stronger, if not happy, “is that we have to move forward from here. We’d better check the news coverage and see what’s going on. And… we need to find a place where we can sleep for a while. And somehow we have to tell Master Fu about all this, so he can warn the other miraculous holders.”

Chat Noir smiled at that. She must have felt the movement against her scalp, because she looked up at him. “Why are you smiling? This is serious!” she frowned.

“I’m smiling because you are Ladybug, superpowers or not.” He held her eyes for a long moment, reading worry and stress there, but not fear. Not anymore. The worst had happened and she was facing it like the lioness she was. Oh, his Ladybug! Not for her the continuous weeping and wailing of lesser folk. No, she would stand up to Hawk Moth, even bereft of her mask.

She flushed a little, but didn’t smile. He figured that would be asking too much at this point anyway.

“Well,” he said, instead of commenting further, “I know how we can do all three of those things, but maybe we’d better start with the second and go from there.”

“You know a place we can hide out?”

“Yes. It won’t be very comfortable, but...” He let her go and stood up, stretching a little. It had been a long night. She followed suit, rubbing her arms after stretching. Then she stepped close and he vaulted them up and away. The apartment building he settled on was in a good neighborhood, a fair distance from their original stopping point. There was a maintenance building on the roof, and a small garden area with two lounge chairs. He broke the lock on the door to the maintenance building and peeked inside. It wouldn’t be roomy, and it smelled like oil and dirt, but it was out of sight and they wouldn’t be disturbed.

He took some soil sacks and made a kind of mat from them on the little floor space. They settled down together, and then Chat Noir detransformed into Adrien again. Plagg flopped down beside them, dejected, but Adrien didn’t intend to let him rest for long.

“Here, Plagg, eat up,” he said. “I want you to take a message to Master Fu when you’re done. You can tell him what’s happened, and where we are, and you can bring back any message he wants to send us. But tell him we intend to sleep for a while, ok?”

“Ok, Adrien.” Plagg gulped the cheese down and whizzed off through the walls. The maintenance shed had one window in it, which Marinette forced open before more or less collapsing on the mat of hard, plastic encased earth. Adrien sat down beside her.

“Well, that covers shelter and telling Master Fu… but what about checking the news?”

“I think we’d better sleep first,” Adrien said, rubbing his face. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I can stay awake much longer.” He laid down beside her. “Here, do you want to use my arm as a pillow?” he offered.

She cuddled up to him without a word. But before he could drift off, she caught his attention. “Adrien… I wish… I know it’s been an awful night for you, too. I wish I could do something about that. But all I can do right now,” she yawned, eyelids already closed, “is promise to fix everything.” 

Adrien didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure even her miraculous ladybugs could fix everything this time around. Damage, yes. But his heart and mind? The fact that his own father was Hawk Moth and had tried to kill them both several times? Those weren’t things her magic could reverse. He closed his eyes and tried to put it from his mind. It took a while, but he finally drifted into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the tone of this is going to get lighter soon. So much angst! But to be fair, it's earned.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one. Progress!
> 
> Also, I don't know if anyone's actually made up track titles for Jagged Stone albums... I went with something that seemed appropriately "rock-n-roll."

Marinette stirring against him woke Adrien up. For a moment he was disoriented, but then all the horrors of the last day and night came flooding back. “It wasn’t just a bad dream, was it?” he said, a sudden lump in his throat. 

Marinette sighed and sat up. “No.”

Adrien flung an arm over his eyes, trying not to break down. Tears leaked out anyway, but at least he didn’t start sobbing. He rolled over onto his side facing away from her, shaking. Despair wasn’t lurking in the back of his mind anymore, it was overwhelmingly present.

She would hate him. He was Hawk Moth's son, and it didn't matter that he was also Chat Noir. He was tainted by association. He'd seen it often enough in the fashion world. Reputation was, if not quite everything, at least 90% of it.

He tried to keep quiet, but he felt a gentle touch on his back and just that simple gesture was enough to make him lose all control. He tried to stifle the sobs, but that just made it worse.

"It's ok, Adrien," she said softly. "It's my turn to hold you. Let it out."

She lay back down behind his back, stroking his hair with one hand, hugging him tightly with the other. Why was she being so nice? Couldn't she tell? He must be an awful person to have such a father. And what was his miraculous power, anyway? Bad luck and destruction. Even the kwamis knew. His sobs shook his entire body.

Eventually he ran out of tears, and lay there shuddering, eyes closed, refusing to give in to the implied comfort of Marinette's arms around him. He didn't deserve any kindness from the girl whose life he had helped to ruin. After a few moments he noticed that she was humming a low tune… and when he recognized it, it was enough to pull a reaction from him.

"Is that the melody from “Shattered Heart”?" He asked a bit thickly, naming the fourth track from the Rock Giant album.

He heard the smile in her voice as she answered. "Yeah. I figured it was appropriate. Plus, I really like that one."

That drew a reluctant chuckle from him. "You have a point." 

He finally shifted onto his back and she moved away, sitting up to look down at him. Adrien focused on her as a way to escape his misery, if only for a moment. He read the concern and latent sadness in her eyes and just lay there studying her for a while. After a moment of that she looked away, blushing a little and obviously uncomfortable with his scrutiny.

"Why didn't I see it?" He mused, hardly aware he’d said it out loud. Her hair was a mess, she was covered in rock dust, dirt, and smears of unidentifiable substances but, now that he knew, her resemblance to Ladybug was uncanny. 

He reached up and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, only then noticing a small streak of blood on her earlobe. He sat up, concerned.

"Is that… did my father do that?" He asked, suppressing a surge of rage. The rage drained away as he remembered it was his own fault she'd been captured in the first place. "You must hate me so much," he whispered, turning away from her.

"What? That’s nonsense! It wasn’t your fault... It’s you who probably hate me,” she finished.

"My own father is Hawk Moth, it's my fault you were even there, I couldn't do anything to stop him, and… and I destroy everything I touch. And now your life is ruined. How could you not hate me?" A pricking behind his eyes let him know he hadn't run out of tears just yet.

"Adrien,” she said. “I could never hate you. Especially now that I know you’re also Chat Noir. He’s always been there for me. There was no way you could have known about your father, and once he decided to throw his normal routine out the window, you couldn’t have warned me. Me, on the other hand… I knew it was a trap. I should’ve… I shouldn’t’ve…” she trailed off as a lump closed off her throat.

They sat there for a moment, both involved so deeply in their own misery that they couldn’t comfort the other. Fortunately, Plagg showed up before the silence between them could grow tense. And he wasn’t alone.

Plagg, in an uncharacteristic display of affection, actually nuzzled right up to Adrien’s cheek, while a red kwami with black spots flew straight to Marinette.

“Tikki!” she cried, cuddling the kwami to her own cheek. A few tears leaked out, but she was smiling again. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“I’m so happy to be back with you, Marinette. But do you have the earrings? Does Hawk Moth still have them?” she asked urgently.

“No. Adrien got them back after he cataclysmed a way out for us.”

“Uh, actually… that was me,” Plagg stated, moving away from Adrien, who wiped away tears of his own, and offered the kwami a piece of cheese.

“You?” Marinette turned back to look at them both. “Oh… that’s right. You weren’t transformed, so you couldn’t have used cataclysm.”

“Yeah… father took my ring the moment he had me immobilized, but since I didn’t want to stop being Chat Noir, Plagg didn’t get sucked into the ring. I sent him off a little later when I thought it was safe.” He turned a reproachful look on the little kwami. “He was supposed to protect you.”

“Don’t blame him,” Marinette said. “I was stupid. I… let myself believe that… that the person I rescued really was, well, you,” she gestured to him. “I should have remembered that it was a trap and not gotten too close.”

“Yeah, don’t blame me,” Plagg complained, finishing his cheese. “After all, if Master Fu hadn’t kept me back so long answering questions, I would’ve been right there with her. Not that I think I could have done much, but at least I could have told her that akuma wasn’t you.”

Marinettte took a deep breath, and smiled tentatively at Adrien. “I think it’s about time we stop blaming ourselves and try to work out a plan, don’t you?”

“Sure,” he said, summoning up a small smile of his own. There she was again, that smart, competent, beautiful girl. It did give him hope. Maybe she really could fix everything with her miraculous ladybugs.

“So… what do we do now?”

“It’s been a couple of hours… Hawk Moth may have uploaded the video by now.” 

Marinette pulled her phone out, but slowly. She sat staring at it for a full minute before turning the screen on. 

“I don’t have much battery left,” she said, before opening her browser. Adrien scooted closer to read over her shoulder, and to support her if what they were both dreading had already happened. Hawk Moth revealing Ladybug’s identity would be headline news if it had happened.

But there was nothing. Nothing but endless conjecture at the battle of the night before, and the continued silence from both Gabriel Agreste and his son.

That actually made Marinette feel better, Adrien could tell. Her identity was still a secret to the majority of the population, and that had to give her confidence a boost.

“Ok, well… we need to get out of here and find a better place to hole up. Maybe somewhere with a bathroom,” she said, grimacing at the state of herself. Adrien wasn’t feeling too fresh himself, and if there was one thing he was not a typical teenage boy about, it was personal hygiene. He had to have his daily shower, and the grime was beginning to wear on his nerves.

Suddenly they heard the squeaky-creak of an opening door. From the sound of it, it was likely the roof door that led into the building proper. He whispered, “Claws out,” and Plagg transformed him back into Chat Noir. Marinette couldn’t wear her earrings without the backs to them, and there was no way he wasn’t going to protect her. Not after everything that had happened. He took up a defensive pose in front of her, shoving her unceremoniously back into a corner. There wasn’t much room in the shed, but he was confident his staff could handle anything at such close quarters.

Steps in the gravel roofing came closer, and then a murmur as whoever it was noticed the broken lock on the door. The door opened, flooding the small shed with light and heat.

“Who is that?” someone said loudly. “What are you doing in there? You kids can’t be in there! How did you even get up here? … Wait. Is that… Chat Noir?”

Marinette laid a hand on his shoulder and nodded when he glanced back at her.

“Yes, sir. I apologize for the lock. The lady and I needed a safe place out of sight to lie low.”

“Lie low? What’s going on? I haven’t heard about any akuma attacks today… the last one was last night… And who’s the girl?” The man stepped further into the shed, and now that he wasn’t backlit by the brilliant rectangle of light, they could see he was a man approaching middle age, wearing the uniform of a security firm.

“Please, sir,” Marinette said from behind him. “It’s… not what you probably think. Chat Noir is only trying to protect me.”

“Well, both of you come on out. I won’t promise not to call someone, but I’ll give you a chance to explain.”

Cautiously, they left the little building. Chat Noir took a moment to replace the soil sacks on top of the rest of the stack of them, leaving the floor clear.

“So what’s all this about?” the security guard asked. His name tag read ‘Salvatore.’

Chat Noir took one look at Marinette’s face and knew he would have to come up with the story this time. “Hawk Moth is looking for her,” he said, tersely. “And we should be moving on now.”

“What, a kid like her? Wow… first Adrien Agreste and now this? But where’s Ladybug, then? That man ought to be…” he trailed off. 

“Ladybug is… working on the problem,” Chat Noir said, trying to sound authoritative. “I’m on guard duty right now.”

“Right. Sorry,” Salvatore said, “I know it’s not my business, but I do have to report any incidents, you know.”

“Please, don’t!” Marinette begged. “At least… not until tomorrow? Give us that much time. Please.”

Salvatore pursed his lips, looking them both up and down. “Maybe I can do better than that. You look like you’ve had a rough night. There’s a small bathroom down in the duty room- do you want to use it before you leave? And… there’s a donation bin in the laundry room. I can look through it if you want a change of clothes.”

Chat Noir exchanged a look with Marinette. It wasn’t like they had anywhere in particular to be, and if this man was willing to help… but it could also be a trap of some kind. 

“Up to you, m’lady,” he said, shrugging. Personally, he desperately wanted to be clean from the skin out, but he knew he could deal with it until they were in safer surroundings.

Marinette turned toward the man. “Thank you,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her chest and, seemingly unconsciously, looking the picture of innocent gratitude. “That’s very kind of you.”

Salvatore’s posture relaxed that last little bit that told all Chat Noir’s enhanced instincts that he wasn’t going to be trouble. That gave him the freedom to relax, too. “Hey, anything for one of Paris’ hero’s right? If it weren’t for you and Ladybug, my building would have been rubble in the first akuma attack, and I’d be out of a job!”

He led them through to the building. They had to descend some stairs before coming to a level with an elevator, but once there, they rode it all the way down to the basement.

The security office was small, basically two rooms, one an office with a wall of monitors, and the other a kitchenette with attached wet room. 

“Help yourselves,” Salvatore said, showing them where towels and washclothes could be found.

“Maybe we should get some clean clothes first?” Chat Noir suggested.

“Oh, right. I’ll get those for you. You should have a good selection- the bin is emptied once a month, and we’re at the back end of that cycle. People here tend to go through their clothing pretty quickly- reputations and all that. I’ll be back.”

Chat Noir started looking through the cupboards above the counter in the kitchen, looking for something to eat. There were some cans of soup, so he grabbed a couple of those and began looking for a pot or microwaveable container.

Salvatore was back quickly, just as he’d said, bringing a huge translucent sack of clothing. Marinette washed her hands at the sink before she began digging through it. Chat Noir watched her from the corner of his eye as he stirred the soup on the stovetop. It was interesting to watch her when she didn’t know it. 

Gone were the nervous movements and shy mannerisms. She would pull out a piece of clothing, hold it up, mutter to herself, then either put it beside herself or drop it onto a different stack. When she was done, there were three unequal piles of clothes in front of her, and a few pieces in a smaller pile beside her. The soup was warm now, so he found a couple of bowls and spoons and put them on the small table.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously, coming over to crouch beside her.

“Oh! I’m… trying to find new outfits for us.” She indicated the smaller pile of clothing beside her. “These are things I’m pretty sure will fit either you or me, but now I need to find the rest of the outfit.”

“Well, come eat some soup while it’s hot,” he said, offering her a hand up. She took it, not seeming to notice the tingle that ran up his arm when she put her hand in his. He tried not to react, just let go and went to sit down himself. It was all starting to become real to him, and his overwrought emotions were having a hard time dealing with the fact of his Ladybug’s sitting right across the table from him. Just inches away. And not in disguise.

She sighed. “I wish I had my sewing kit. There’s a lot that has potential in there,” she said, sitting down herself. “But it’s either too big, or has a rip here or there. Mostly in the seams, so it should be easy enough to repair, but without a sewing kit, I’ll have to make do with other things.” She smiled wryly. “You might have to put up with looking less than your normal perfect self when it comes to your clothes.”

“I may be a model,” Chat Noir said, “but I’m not that vain. And, actually, looking like a normal guy will be a better disguise than this cat-suit of mine.”

“Good point,” she said, starting to eat. Her eyes were drooping shut over the meal. Chat Noir was having a hard time staying awake himself. Was it just coming down from the adrenaline, or had they not had enough sleep?

After a few bites, Marinette suddenly got up. “I need to finish picking out clothes and take a shower. We can’t stay too long, and I’m having a hard time staying awake.”

Chat Noir had let his head sag onto his left hand propped on the table while he ate with his right.

“Ok, m’lady,” was all he had the energy to say.

Marinette stopped trying to pick out perfect outfits from the assortment of clothing she had before her and just went through, picking out things that were about the right size that didn’t clash too horribly. She did avoid clothing too close to their individual styles. When she had two outfits picked out that didn’t offend her sensibilities, she put Adrien’s clothing on the table in front of the sleeping cat, and went to take her shower. She was a little worried about leaving him sleeping like that, but a short nap would do him good, and she needed to get clean.

Salvatore had checked in on them while she was sorting the clothes and Cat was heating the soup, but he’d said he would have to go on his rounds again soon. She felt safe taking a quick shower.

The wet room wasn’t so much a full bathroom, as it was just a room with a sink, toilet, and showerhead on the wall above the toilet, with a sloped drain in the floor. There wasn’t any shower curtain or anything like that, but the door had a lock on it.

When she was done, she wiped everything down and combed her hair as best as she could with her fingers and left it down. She put a plain black beret on her wet hair and carefully inserted her miraculous earrings into her damaged earlobes. Salvatore had supplied her with some earring backs taken out of the miscellaneous catch trays from the washing machines in the laundry room. 

She and Tikki both felt much better with her wearing them again. And she felt much more alert for the chance to clean up.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Chat Noir had finished his nap and was draining a bowl of soup. When he saw her he nearly choked and had to spend a few minutes coughing to clear his airways.

“That bad, huh?” she said with a wry smile. She’d done her best, but her new clothes didn’t exactly fit her very well. She wore an oversize blue t-shirt that she’d tied a knot in at the waist, with a black short-sleeved knit cardigan over that. The cardigan was meant for a child, so it looked cropped on her. She also wore black leggings that were too large in the waist, with a sheer blue-flower print wrap skirt over that to help keep them up.

“N-no. No, you look… great,” he finished on a croak, coughing again. She went back to the table, laying her wet towel and bundled dirty clothes on the floor beside her chair. He jumped up and grabbed her cold bowl of unfinished soup to pop it into the microwave for her. When it beeped, he presented it to her with a flourish on one flat palm. She couldn’t suppress a grin as she took it from him.

“Thanks, kitty,” she said affectionately. It was really much easier to deal with him as Chat Noir, than it was as Adrien. She began to eat the soup, her appetite returning full-force.

“I guess that’s my cue,” he said, grabbing the pile of clothing off the table and disappearing into the bathroom.

Salvatore checked in again before he came back out, and this time he placed two energy drinks on the table for them. She couldn’t find the words to thank him. So much kindness, for people he didn’t even know.

He offered to let her charge her phone while she waited for Chat Noir to finish, and she took him up on it. It would be risky to use the phone for anything but news updates, but it was as well to have a backup for emergency communication. When he left again, she took the opportunity to talk to Tikki alone. Plagg was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was with Adrien.

“Where did you go when you I sent you away?” she asked, tears pricking at her eyes at the mere thought of that awful moment. But she swallowed them. Crying could come later- right now she wanted to know about what her kwami had been up to.

“I went to Master Fu. He wasn’t happy to see me, but he was also very happy to see me. I wanted to come back to you as soon as possible after Plagg arrived, but he wouldn’t let me. He said you both needed to sleep. But I wanted to be with you again! You’re my ladybug!”

Marinette frowned in thought. “Does Master Fu have any idea what we should do now? I hardly think going to the police while Hawk Moth still has his miraculous would be all that effective, not to mention that it would be so hard on Adrien… I wish there was some way to get rid of Hawk Moth without ruining Gabriel Agreste, but… I can’t think of anything.”

“Doesn’t he deserve to go to jail?”

“Yes, of course he does, but I’m thinking of Adrien. Does Adrien deserve to have the whole city of Paris looking down on him because of what his father did in secret? Not to mention that he already lost his mother, and now his father is going to go away as well… I don’t even know if he has any other family.”

“I have some cousins on my mother’s side,” Adrien said then, stepping out of the bathroom. He was wearing baggy khakis over his original orange sneakers, with a plain white t-shirt under a zippered red hoodie on top. He’d pushed the sleeves of the hoodie half-way up his forearms, and on his head was a cheap knit winter cap. His golden hair poked out of it in places, and his green eyes were unmistakable, but overall he looked very different from his usual polished appearance.

“Well? Different enough?” he asked, with a small smile.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to recognize Adrien Agreste, in you, no,” she said with a smile of her own. He still looked very good, however. No amount of baggy clothing could erase his natural attractiveness.

He came back to sit at the table with her, and she spotted Plagg curled up in the hood of his zippered hoodie. 

“I think… we need to talk,” he said, an unusually serious expression on his face.

She nodded and waited for him to start, since she didn’t know the topic he wanted to address, and was too shy, and maybe too apprehensive now that he was Adrien again, to ask.

“You know I’ve always pushed for revealing our identities to each other,” he began, looking straight at her. “Well… you were right on that. And I was completely wrong. Thank you for being the responsible one all this time.”

She flushed. “I-it was never about not trusting you, Chat- Adrien,” she said. “I just… Tikki and Master Fu both told me over and over again how dangerous it could be if Hawk Moth ever captured one of us, or even just akumatized us.”

“I know that… now.” A shadow crossed his expression and she knew he was remembering that scene in Hawk Moth’s butterfly chamber. “I’m so sorry, Ladybug,” he said again. Then he collected himself again. “But, that being said… can I ask you to promise me something?” His eyes bored into hers. “Please. There have been so many lies and secrets in my life lately… can you just… not lie to me anymore? Please. I know honesty can hurt, but… I don’t think it can hurt much worse than a lie revealed, especially one as big as Hawk Moth.”

Marinette smiled sympathetically. “I can do that.”

He blew out a shaky breath, clearly relieved. “Thank you.”

“What would you like to start with?”

“Maybe… your feelings about me?” he asked hesitantly. He picked up the spoon in his empty bowl and started playing with it, not looking at her.

Marinette flushed a brighter red. “Um… about you, or about Chat Noir? Or both? Both. Ok. W-well… um, I’ve k-kind of had a crazy huge c-crush on you since that day you gave me your umbrella. I… tried to tell you so many times, but… I don’t know, just seeing you was enough to make my head spin and I c-couldn’t really… say it. I was so afraid that if I did, you’d… ” 

She trailed off, mildly surprised how easily that came out. She hadn’t expected to be able to tell him without a lot more stammering and mixing up of words. 

“You were afraid?” he prompted, still not looking at her, but there was a blush on his cheeks.

She took a breath and continued. “That you’d reject me, and… and then we wouldn’t be friends anymore either. As for Chat Noir, he’s… a friend. Maybe something more. But… honestly I didn’t take his flirting seriously before we fought Glaciator, and by then, well…”

Adrien suddenly looked up with a brilliant smile, even chuckling a little. “Oh no… don’t tell me! The boy you said you were in love with… that was me? Oh no!” He laughed, and she shrank into her seat a little, embarrassed, but smiling too.

“Can you blame me for feeling so foolish when I found out you were Chat Noir this morning? Here I’ve been holding him at bay, never knowing I was pushing you away, too.”

“But if you were attracted to me,” he said, “why not Chat Noir, too?”

“Oh, Adrien… you’re so different when you’re Chat Noir! Over the top and goofy, and such a flirt! I couldn’t take you seriously, especially not at first. I could see your kindness and appreciate your protectiveness, and I even had fun fighting with you, but… I had no idea who you were under the mask, and I was so head-over-heels for Adrien…”

“Kind of like me for Ladybug,” he said, causing her to look up. His eyes caught and held hers and she felt like all the air had escaped from her chest. “I want you to know,” he continued seriously, “That even though I’ve been in love with your alter-ego, I still noticed you, Marinette. I counted myself lucky to be your friend, and… maybe there were some feelings I didn’t let myself admit to.”

Marinette knew her cheeks were pink again. “Why not?”

Adrien blushed again. “I… don’t really know? I know that’s a cop-out answer, but… I really don’t know. I know I admired you, and I was really happy you were my friend, but I just… didn’t even want to think about anything more between us, because of Ladybug. But then there were times I couldn’t seem to help myself! Like… after the Evillustrator? Remember, I asked you how you liked Chat Noir? And… you said some really nice things about me being awesome...” He chuckled a little. “I may be oblivious, but… that made me feel really good. I just didn’t want to think about why.” 

“But I was soooo awkward around you!” she burst out. “I mixed up my words, and sometimes couldn’t even get a complete sentence out! Why would you… I mean, weren’t you as embarrassed for me as I was for myself?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know about that… but I thought you were so cute everytime you got flustered. I’m really glad Ladybug turned out to be you.” He stood up and helped her to stand too, pulling her close. “I’m really, really glad,” he said softly. “With your permission, my lady?” he asked. 

And then he kissed her. Their kiss was soft and tender, both too aware of the other to push any boundaries. For Marinette it was over almost too soon, and from the way Adrien stayed close after, he felt the same way. 

Sighing, Marinette finally moved away. “W-we better get going,” she whispered.

“Yeah, I have a feeling you’re right,” he said reluctantly, squeezing her hand before letting go.

Adrien took the time to transform while Marinette went to thank Salvatore again and let him know they would be leaving.

In the elevator up to the roof, Salvatore seemed a little uncomfortable. “Hey, uh…” he finally said, as the elevator came to a stop. “I know you’re heroes and all, but… seeing you up close, seeing the state you were in when I discovered you… you’re just kids! I know you have these powers and everything, but… be careful out there, ok?”

Marinette and Chat Noir exchanged glances. Evidently Salvatore had figured out that she was probably Ladybug. But he hadn’t said anything, so he could probably be trusted to keep the secret… for as long as that mattered, anyway. Marinette stood on tiptoe to kiss Salvatore’s cheek. “We’ll be alright as long as people like you are willing to help. Thank you.”

Chat Noir let her leave the elevator first before throwing Salvatore a cheeky grin and salute. “Don’t worry about us, sir. We’ve got a lot more resources than you think! And thanks again.”

They headed for the edge of the building and Chat Noir waited for Marinette to transform into Ladybug. They’d discussed it, and decided it would be better for her to resume that form, at least for traveling purposes. Not that he minded carrying her around, but they would both feel more comfortable if she had access to her protective suit and magic yo-yo.

As they jumped, vaulted, and swung their way across Paris on their way to the lunch meeting with Alya and Nino, Chat Noir chuckled into his ear-bug. “You know, that Salvatore is going to be telling all his grandkids about the day he got a kiss from Ladybug. Not that they’ll believe him.”

“Oh, stop it. He was really nice and helpful.”

“I don’t think you know the effect you have on people, Marinette,” he said, relishing the use of her actual name. She shot him a smile and his heart soared with unexpected joy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alya's a good friend.

Alya checked her messages as soon as they were dismissed for their lunch break. The early morning call from Ladybug had seriously rattled her. She hadn’t heard anything from Marinette since the night before, neither she nor Adrien were at school today, and Ladybug hadn’t said anything about collecting either her necklace, or Nino’s bracelet, something that had never happened before. She wanted to think that it was only because Ladybug thought they could be trusted to keep them now, but it wasn’t like her not to tell them straight out. She was worried. Very, very worried.

She had no messages from Marinette, and when she tried calling her- again- it just went to voicemail. But she didn’t have time to worry about that too much if she was going to grab some food and head to the park for the arranged meet-up with Ladybug and Cat Noir.

She caught up with Nino after ditching their books in the locker room. “Hey, ready for that picnic? I wonder what’s going on… I’m really worried. I hope we can get some answers.” Nino nodded and they headed off. They didn’t notice Lila close enough behind them to overhear.

They grabbed their own lunches and stopped by the Dupain-Cheng bakery to pick up something for the heroes, but to their surprise the bakery was closed and all the lights off. When they went around to the side door to ring the bell, no one answered.

“I don’t like this, Nino,” Alya said softly. “I don’t like this at all. Let’s hurry. They can have my lunch- I don’t have an appetite anymore.”

Lunch was an hour, but they wanted as much time to talk as possible. It didn’t take long to get there and to their relief, Ladybug was waiting for them on a bench under a tree. She looked… okay. Serious, a little drawn and down. There was no sign of Chat Noir at the moment.

Alya and Nino called a greeting as they approached her.

“Alya, Nino,” Ladybug said, smiling but still more reserved than usual. “Thank you for coming.”

Alya thrust her lunchbag at her hero and she and Nino sat on the bench. “So what’s all this about? You said something about… Hawk Moth looking for me?”

“It’s… a long story,” Ladybug said, unwrapping Alya’s sandwich and taking a bite.

“Look, can you just tell us if Adrien is ok?” Nino asked after a moment. “No one’s seen him since you rescued him last night.”

Ladybug grimaced, still chewing. “He’s safe for now. But… it all went wrong. I didn’t rescue Adrien last night, it was a decoy. And now…” she sighed. “Hawk Moth knows who I am.”

Both Nino and Alya gasped. 

“No!”

“Dude, this is NOT good.”

Ladybug looked at them directly. “It’s not ideal, certainly, but… if he thinks I’m going to give up, he’s got another thing coming! But I wanted to warn you both, and to tell you to keep the miraculouses you’ve been given for now. You might need them if he goes after either of you.” She took another breath. “In addition to knowing who I am, he also knows that you, Nino, are Adrien’s best friend, and that…” she licked her lips nervously, looking down. “That Alya is mine.”

Their phones buzzed at that moment, indicating a city-wide alert, and thus distracting Alya from the puzzle she’d just been handed. She pulled out her phone, but Ladybug put her hand over the screen before she could see more than that it was a video.

“Alya,” she said seriously. “It’s me, Marinette. Before you watch that, I just… wanted you to hear it from me.”

Alya stared at her, hardly comprehending the words. Ladybug removed her hand and she hit play. Nino leaned in close to watch it with her. In her peripheral vision, Alya saw Ladybug sink down onto the bench, forgotten lunch bag in hand, and drop her head onto the other.

“People of Paris, this is Hawk Moth. I’m pleased to announce that I have the honor of revealing Ladybug’s true identity to you all.”

The video zoomed in on an image of Ladybug, tied to a chair. There was no sound, but as her expression changed from confusion to fear, and then to panic as she looked around, she suddenly jerked her head forward and her mouth opened as she yelled something. There was a bright red flash and when it faded, the face of Marinette looked at the camera, terrified, defeated. That was all, but it was enough. 

Alya raised her free hand to her mouth. “Oh. My. God. Marinette…” she whispered, horrified.

Then she turned to see her best friend and idol, sitting on the bench beside her with her head in her hands and shaking. She put her phone away and sat down beside her, giving her a hug.

“Are you ok?” she asked gently. “I guess that’s why the bakery’s closed… and why you weren’t in school today… but hey, at least Hawk Moth didn’t get your miraculous, right?”

“But he did, Alya, he did… for a while anyway.” Alya could tell she was trying not to cry.

Chat Noir dropped from the tree above them at that moment, making Alya and Nino jump in surprise. “Not for long, though, thanks to me,” he said. “Can I have some of those?” he asked, pointing to the abandoned lunch bag, out of which spilled some cookies.

“Dude,” Nino said, handing him the bag. “This is not good.”

“You can say that again.” Chat Noir ate two cookies and started in on the other half of the sandwich Ladybug-Marinette- hadn’t finished.

Alya wrapped her arms around Ladybug- Marinette (god that was hard to believe)- and pulled her close. Her brain was whirling, but there was no way she was going to let her best friend cry without any comfort. Her mind was flashing through all those conversations about Ladybug and who she might be, and, especially, the night of the Sapotis, when Ladybug had first given her the miraculous of the fox and turned her into Rena Rouge. She chuckled, remembering the awkward conversation that had happened after it all blew over, full of lies on both sides, apparently.

“Well at least now I know why you always had such lame excuses for things, girl.” She sighed. “I wish you had told me. But I know why you didn’t.”

Ladybug sniffled, rubbed her eyes and sat back up. “It was to protect you, my parents… anyone who knows me. You’re all in danger now because of me.”

“But, I don’t understand, dudes,” Nino interjected. “I thought Ladybug… I-I mean you, Marinette… I thought… how could Adrien have been a decoy?”

Chat Noir answered the question. “That was Chameleon in disguise. She put Ladybug to sleep and took her straight to Hawk Moth.”

Alya and Nino both gasped. 

“She? What do you mean, she? Do you know who Chameleon is?” Alya asked eagerly. She’d tried for so long to get some footage, or any information about what Chameleon looked like for the LadyBlog, but nothing had ever come to light.

Chat Noir chuckled grimly, “None other than Lila Rossi.”

“Whoa.” That blew Alya’s brain all over again. But suddenly she rounded on Cat Noir. “And where were you last night?” she demanded, hotly. “If you’d been there, I bet Ladybug would never have been tricked!”

“It’s not his fault, Alya,” Ladybug said, sitting up and accepting a cookie from Cat Noir. “He did everything he could, but Hawk Moth kept him… busy. He got away as fast as he could, and he’s the only reason Adrien and I are safe right now.”

Alya had the grace to flush. “Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Chat Noir said bitterly. “You don’t blame me any more than I already blame myself.” He turned around and leaned an arm against the tree trunk, facing the street. “Uh… milady?” he said, suddenly stiffening. “I think we’d better move along.”

Ladybug turned on the bench. “Why?”

“We have an audience.”

Ladybug growled, “Lila,” with so much venom that Alya looked at her in surprise. Not that she blamed her, but… still.

“I’ll bet you anything she’s the reason the video was released right now instead of earlier. She wanted the maximum effect.” Chat Noir’s voice also betrayed anger, and he punched the tree trunk before turning around and offering his hand to Ladybug.

“Wait!” Alya said. “You can’t just go! You don’t have anywhere to go!”

“We can’t stay here either, Alya. The news vans will be coming along soon now that Lila knows where we are. I can’t afford to be surrounded by reporters right now. And we’re putting you in danger, too.”

Alya snorted. “As if! But you shouldn’t run away from the reporters, especially not now!” she insisted.

Ladybug frowned at her. “Alya, I can’t stop to answer endless personal questions. Hawk Moth is still on the loose!”

“So don’t!” Alya took both of her shoulders in hand and shook her gently. “Listen to me. People rely on you and Chat Noir. They feel safe when they know you two are all right. And that video? That’s going to scare a LOT of people. Think what Hawk Moth could do with that. After all, no one knows you got away, the video doesn’t show anything after simply revealing your real face. Do you want to spend the rest of the day fighting fear-based akumas, or do you want to have time to plan your next move?”

Ladybug actually looked surprised by that line of reasoning. “I… didn’t think of that.” She looked a question at Chat Noir, who just shrugged.

“If it were me, m’lady, and I wasn’t who I am… hearing from you in person right now would probably make me feel a whole lot better.”

“You see?” Alya said, “Kitty knows I’m right!” 

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow at her use of Ladybug’s nickname for him, but Alya just gave him a smirk in return.

“You don’t have to answer questions if you don’t want to. But you do need to assure people that you and Chat Noir are still here, fighting for them.”

Ladybug closed her eyes for a moment and Alya felt a quiver run through her. Was it… fear? Ladybug afraid? But then… Marinette had never sought the spotlight, except maybe when it came to Adrien. And she’d been so secretive about her true identity. This must be really hard for her, she realized.

“Ok,” she said after a moment. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, actually smiling. “I won’t answer questions, but I will tell them about Adrien being safe, and that Chat and I aren’t giving up any time soon.”

“That’s my girl,” Alya said, with a smile of her own. “Go get ‘em.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged another glance, and then ran off toward the school, where news vans were already converging. 

Alya watched them go, and sank back onto the bench, feeling shaky with reaction now that she wasn’t really involved anymore. Nino sat down, too, and put his arm around her. 

“You ok?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just… surprised? Stunned?” Alya said. “I… I really had no idea. And that… look… on her face…” She shuddered, remembering the terror she’d seen on her best friend’s face as her mask was stripped away.

“I know. But she’s fine, Alya. You heard her yourself. She’s not giving up.” He stood and held out his hand. “Now come on. You want to get that interview for the LadyBlog yourself, right?” he asked with an encouraging grin.

“Wow, I guess your Ladyblog will be more popular than ever now, right Alya? I mean, after all, you were just confirmed to be Ladybug’s best friend, weren’t you? You’ll be able to get the biggest scoops. And you’ll be kind of like a celebrity yourself! Even if you are shining from the shadows of someone else’s life.”

Alya looked up to see Lila standing in front of them, smiling in a way that suddenly seemed very smug and sinister. She’d never understood why Marinette disliked Lila from the start, but now… oh yes, she could see it, now. The false friendliness, the backhanded compliments… it was subtle, but this girl was no friend to Ladybug. And that meant Ladybug, and Marinette, had been right about all her lying.

“You had something to do with this, didn’t you, Chameleon?” Alya snapped.

“Who? Me?” Lila put a hand on her chest and looked innocent. “Why would you say that?”

“Maybe because Ladybug and Chat Noir are convinced of it, and I don’t see me believing you over them.” Nino jumped in with his own accusation.

Lila laughed. “Oh Nino, it’s just a mistake! I’m sure Ladybug will realize very soon that I only have her best interests at heart.” She pranced away like she’d won the argument before either of them could say anything else.

Nino grabbed Alya’s hand and pulled her up. “Thank god you convinced Ladybug to do that interview. Even so, we’d better get back to school before Lila has a chance to do anything."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having to do quite a bit of restructuring and rewrites as I edit this, so chapter posting is going to slow down.

Alya and Nino headed back to the school, noting that Ladybug and Chat Noir had disappeared again. 

“Where are they?” she grumbled. Her phone hadn’t really stopped buzzing with notifications since about a minute after the video first aired, but she was too focused on what was going on with Ladybug to check messages right now. Nevertheless, she did pull her phone out so she would be ready to record the minute Ladybug showed back up. She did a quick live stream for the blog, just to let viewers know what was coming. She thought about also live-streaming the video, but if she recorded it she could make sure the sound quality was as good as she could get it. She had a feeling this interview was going to be one for the history books.

As they finally got to the school, students started leaving in dribs and drabs. Alya could see several clustered around the double doors, and Mr. Haprele and Principal Damocles were standing guard there, denying entry to any reporters who tried to actually enter the school.

As they waited for Ladybug to actually show up again, Nino started fiddling with his turtle bracelet.

“So after this,” he said, sounding nervous, “do you think we should… you know?” He held up his arm so she could see the bracelet. 

Wayzz poked his tiny green head out of Nino’s right earphone and said, “I think you should both go see Master Fu!”

Nino shushed him, but looking around, Alya was convinced no one had noticed. Several students had been ambushed by reporters and were giving statements. Others managed to slip past without attracting attention, but… it looked like the whole school was leaving. Mr. Damocles must have closed the school for the rest of the day.

“Who’s Master Fu,” Alya asked in a low voice. She spoke to seemingly thin air, but a moment later Trixx answered the question from her hiding spot in her hair.

“Master Fu is the guardian of the all the miraculouses. He’s the one who gave me to you last night, as well as Wayzz to Nino. Usually, Wayzz stays with Master Fu because a guardian must be able to protect.”

“But… where is this dude?,” Nino asked. “How are we going to recognize him?”

“Don’t worry,” Wayzz said, zipping out quickly to pat Nino’s cheek. “Trixx and I can lead you to him. It might be just as well to have an excuse, though.”

“Hey, aren’t you two dating? How about a nice dinner and a walk tonight?” Trixx suggested.

“Yes. I know a good restaurant in the right area,” Wayzz agreed.

Alya felt honored and just a little weirded out by the two kwamis. They’d never given much advice before, much less tried to railroad them onto a beaten path, but then, they’d never kept their miraculouses for longer than a single battle before. Maybe all kwamis were like this! Maybe Marinette, and whoever was under the Chat Noir mask, had great relationships with their own kwamis… 

Alya and Nino exchanged glances. “Dinner sounds… nice,” she said hesitantly. She was super proud to be picked to help Ladybug, but this was getting very… real. She hoped Ladybug would show up again soon, because her anxiety was starting to overcome her natural spunk.

Nino smiled at her and said. “It’s a date, then.” Then his face got that wide-eyed astonished look that meant his brain had shocked him with a thought again. “Hey… I wonder how Chloe took the news…”

Alya burst out laughing. “Not well, if I know that girl! Thanks for the mental image, Nino. Oh lord…”

\----

Chloe Bourgeois was in the lunchroom with all her other classmates, though not, of course, eating anything from the lunch line, when the video was sent to every message board and news site in France. Almost as one, everyone got their phone out and viewed the footage together. Collective gasps rose around the room as everyone took in what was happening, but Chloe had never been an ordinary student, and she didn’t fail to live up to expectations. However, though she totally freaked out, it wasn’t the kind of freak-out everyone was expecting.

“Whaaat?!” she shrieked. “How dare he?! How DARE HE!” She shoved herself away from the table she shared with Sabrina, who was still sitting there stunned, and stalked from the room, phone in hand, already on the line with her father.

“Daddy,” she said loudly, “did you see that video? You have to get them to stop showing it. Yes, I’m serious! Ladybug shouldn’t be… humiliated that way! I know she’s the baker girl, I saw! Just get them to take it down… I bet it’s fake, anyway, Ladybug wouldn’t be dumb enough to get caught.”

Her voice faded as she left the vicinity of the lunchroom, but the words she left behind fell on fertile ears. Everyone started speculating. Could it be a fake? Had anyone seen Marinette that day? Or heard from her? Was this just some ploy of Hawk Moth’s, like the illusion of an akumatized Ladybug killing Chat Noir last Hero’s Day?

It took fifteen minutes for the email from Mr. Damocles to go out, shutting the school down for the day. By that time, news vans and reporters were camped in front of the school and the nearby darkened bakery where Marinette lived with her parents, eager to intercept students for statements or speculation. 

Marinette’s girl friends huddled together just inside the doors of the school.

“I don’t think it’s a fake,” Rose said. “It makes sense if you think about it.”

“But she’s so clumsy,” Mylene protested. 

“Not lately,” Juleka mumbled. “She hasn’t caused half as many accidents as she used to.”

“And she’s always giving some lame excuse for being late or missing stuff,” Alix added.

“I’m scared for her,” Mylene said softly.

“Don’t be,” Alix said, matter of factly. “She can handle herself. She’s Ladybug! Took me down- twice!- when I was akumatized.”

“Has anyone seen Alya?” Juleka asked after a moment of silence. They looked at each other and then almost as one took out their phones and texted their friend.

“You know,” Rose said, putting a finger to her chin when she was done texting, “If Marinette is Ladybug, I bet that makes Adrien Chat Noir.”

For one perfect moment they all stared at her in surprise. Then they all burst out laughing. 

“Come on, Rose!” 

“That’s too romantic, even for you!”

“Seriously, Adrien? You mean the guy who can’t even come to school without a bodyguard? He’s Chat Noir? Right! Of course! It makes perfect sense!”

“But girls…!” Rose protested. “It would be so perfect!” She smiled happily to herself.

The rest of them patted her on the back or hugged her, according to their natures, and then they dispersed to brave the gauntlet of reporters between them and their own homes. What no one was expecting was for Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves to show up just then.

The first indication the girls had was a sudden shift in attention in the crowd of reporters and film crews. Almost as one, they all looked up to the roof. The girls turned around and saw Ladybug and Chat Noir posing on the front facade. Once they were sure all eyes were on them and the noise level of the crowd had dropped, Ladybug jumped down, followed quickly by Chat Noir, half leaping, half sliding down the front of the school entrance.

The girls stared at her in shock, not quite sure what to do. She’d landed over to one side, and Rose gave her an encouraging nod when she saw her look sideways at them.

“People of Paris,” Ladybug began. “You’ve just seen my true identity revealed. Yes, the video is real. Yes, Hawk Moth did capture me last night, and yes, he did have my miraculous earrings in his possession for a short time.” She paused. “Yes, without my miraculous I am just an ordinary girl. Yes, I am young. Yes, I have a lot of responsibilities between school work, projects, and relationships with friends and family. Yes, Hawk Moth knows who I am and he can therefore strike at those I love. All of that is true. But none of that has ever stopped me before!”

Chat Noir, who had been hanging back, came up beside her then and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Chat Noir and I are ready to fight, and this time, we intend to finish it. Hawk Moth may know who I am- everyone in Paris, even the world, may know who I am under this mask. But know this- we finally know who Hawk Moth is now. And therefore we can take the fight to him. All we need is a little time. Don’t give up hope! I know this video may have brought fear to your hearts, fear that no one was left to save you from akumas, to fix the damages caused by their attacks. But Chat Noir and I are standing before you right now! We will not give in, and we will not give up! We will end this, once and for all!”

A spontaneous cheer erupted from almost everyone present, as Ladybug and Chat Noir took off again, leaping up and out over the rooftops and away from the school.

\----

Chat's voice in her ear was encouraging.

"I don't know how you do it, Bugaboo," he said. "How do you always come up with exactly the right thing to say? That was brilliant!"

Ladybug sighed, slinging her yo-yo to wrap around a chimney at the corner of a building. "You know very well you helped me with that little speech, so take some of the credit for yourself, kitty."

"Yeah, but the delivery...! Hawk Moth is going to have a hard time akumatizing anyone after that! Well done, my lady."

"... did you see the girls?" Ladybug asked quietly as they continued to patrol, not really heading anywhere, just generally away from the vicinity of the school, and avoiding the part of town where Master Fu lived.

"Yep. Looks like they were all cheering for you, too."

Ladybug sighed again. No matter the logic behind her acceptance of her loss of anonymity, she couldn't help worrying about what they thought of her, now that they knew her secret. Admiring a superhero was one thing. Sharing classes with one was quite another. But she pushed it aside for now. 

They'd discussed their next move and decided it was time to go to Master Fu. So they would patrol for a bit, go to ground for a quarter hour or so, pop up in an entirely different part of the city to patrol some more, and repeat that pattern at least three or four times before actually vanishing into the crowds of Paris and making their way by mundane means to the little shop he called home. Hopefully that would throw off any trackers Hawk Moth had on him, and wouldn't lead to him pinpointing where Master Fu lived.

And so passed two increasingly tense hours. Ladybug kept expecting ambushes or akumas to appear every time they shed their suits or donned them. But finally, they decided enough was enough. They arranged to part ways as civilians, and only meet up again at a subway stop near to Master Fu's house.


	14. Chapter 14

Hawk Moth watched the press conference seething with rage. He hadn’t been able to effectively track the superhero team all day. The closest he’d come was Lila’s almost encounter with them around noon, and she hadn’t gotten very close, even though she could have. Her excuse was that she didn’t want to scare them away. Hawk Moth knew she could have stayed in hiding and tracked them easily, she didn’t have to let them see her the way she did. And now, all the good that might have happened with the release of the video was undone by that annoyingly righteous Ladybug.

It was strange, though. He’d have expected her to run away from the press, his previous reading of the young designer being that she was one to avoid drawing attention to herself, though she would stand up for her work if necessary. The release of the video should have been a blow to her confidence, but instead there she stood in front of dozens of reporters, vowing to bring the fight straight back to him. She just needed a little time.

Well, Hawk Moth decided. I just won’t give her the time, then. He searched for negative emotions powerful enough to draw his akumas… and growled in frustration. Surely there had to be someone, anyone, in Paris that hadn’t been watching the news? Or who maybe just didn’t care about Ladybug or any of that and was focused on their own problems?

There were spots here or there, but they weren’t intense enough. He’d learned to recognize the potential in mental states over the last year, and none of what he felt from those potentials was strong enough to make a good akuma.

But maybe an akuma wasn’t necessary. It would draw Ladybug and Cat Noir out, yes, but so would a sentimonster, and using Mayura would leave him free to plan. He really needed to plan. He didn’t know how Adrien had managed to pull off a cataclysm when he didn’t even have his ring on anymore, and that was… worrisome. He must have an exceptionally strong bond with his kwami for that to have happened. He needed time to figure out how to counteract miraculous users who could call on their power even without their jewels. And at the same time he couldn’t allow them to have the time on their hands.

“Dark Wings, fall,” he said, and turned to address Nathalie. “I think Mayura is going to have to give our young superheroes something to think about. That press conference has effectively tied my hands.”

“Yes, sir. As always, I’m happy to help.”

“Good. I’m going to lie down for a while. When you send out a feather, let me know so I can akumatize Lila to follow after it. We might just get lucky.”

“Of course.”

Gabriel Agreste limped out of the butterfly chamber, missing Hawk Moth’s cane. He had bruises on top of bruises and possibly a mild concussion. And Adrien’s bodyguard had fared worse. Between the mental manipulation Hawk Moth had managed on his mind and the fall, something had gone… wrong. And it wasn’t as if he could take the man to the nearest hospital. He did feel a little guilty at that, he wasn’t one to grudge medical help, but in this case there would be too many questions asked.

Regardless, he needed rest to be at his peak, so he shut himself into his bedroom and got into bed without undressing. He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow. He just had time for a single thought before unconsciousness rose up and took him. “I’m sorry Emilie.”

\----

Meeting up with Adrien was like a dream come true for Marinette, especially since no one seemed to be recognizing them. The time Adrien had literally run into her when he was running from a mob had been exciting, but also hugely embarrassing for her, having run out in her pajamas before realizing it, and ending up at the movie theater with a towel on her head and wearing swim goggles as well. This was much better. There were no screaming fans, and the smile Adrien gave her when he saw her just melted her heart. It wasn’t the casual smile he’d often given her before… no, this one was different.

“Hey,” he said, a bit of Cat Noir coming out, “fancy meeting you here. And right on time, too!”

“I’m always on time for a date!” Marinette said, then backtracked, “I mean… for meeting friends.”

Adrien laughed and took her hand. “Not according to Alya and Nino. Come on.” 

Marinette felt like she was walking on a cloud. 

They exited the subway and headed down a random street until they were sure they weren’t being followed. Then Plagg had them head down a side street of houses until they could duck through an alley into another side street. The path they took was roundabout and confusing, but they eventually ended up at the back of a row of shops, nothing but plain metal doors with keyholes, dumpsters, and a lot of electrical wiring and panels.

They didn’t even have to knock on the door. Tikki wizzed right through it and fetched Master Fu for them. They both sighed in relief when they were off the street for good.

“I’m glad you finally made it. I have a lot to explain to you before your friends arrive.”

“I’m sorry it took so long, Master Fu, but we wanted to be sure no one was following us,” Marinette said.

“Wait, what friends?” Adrien asked.

“It’s fine, Marinette.” Master Fu saw their joined hands and smiled, then turned and led the way to the front room that he used for clients without answering Adrien’s question. Adrien was looking around with interest. Marinette had been there many times, but Master Fu had always gone to Adrien instead of the other way around because of his controlling father.

“Those are pretty good disguises,” he remarked as they found a place to sit. “If Tikki hadn’t come to get me, I might not have opened the door.”

“Marinette picked the clothes. We had a lot to choose from.”

“She has a good eye. Now,” he got serious. “I hope you are both ready to concentrate, because I have a lot to go over.”

Marinette and Adrien sat side by side and focused their attention on Master Fu while Tikki and Plagg hovered over a fruit and cheese platter. 

“I hope you have made up your differences?” he asked. “I know it was quite a shock for you both, discovering who was under the mask of your partner.”

Adrien took Marinette’s hand and squeezed it, and they smiled at each other. 

“We’re ok, Master Fu.”

“Good. And Adrien, how are you handling the very natural anger you must have toward your father?” he asked, leaning forward. 

Adrien stiffened. Master Fu wouldn’t let him drop his eyes, though.

“I… don’t know,” Adrien said through gritted teeth. Just mentioning the subject called up such a powerful surge of rage he was almost frightened at his own reaction. He’d been pretty successful so far distracting himself from how he felt by focusing on Marinette and what she needed, but...

“You have much to be angry about, Adrien,” Master Fu said, gently. “I do not wish you to think otherwise, and after this is all over, you should see a counselor to work through it. However, while I encourage you not to hide or suppress this emotion, you must be careful how you deal with it. Such anger would be a prime target for one of Hawk Moth’s akumas. We cannot afford to lose you, not now. If you know any breathing exercises, now would be the time to employ them. You may also talk to me, or to Marinette about it, whichever makes you feel the most comfortable.”

Adrien nodded, breathing deeply and trying to let the anger flow away a little with each breath. Slowly he started to relax again. Reminding himself that they were there to make sure his father could never hurt anyone again also helped. Just having a course of action to pursue would help as well.

“I understand, Sifu,” he said, back under control for the moment. He caught a concerned glance from Marinette, and managed to smile at her. “Just knowing that we have a plan to finally defeat Hawk Moth is going to help a lot with that. We do have a plan, right?”

“We, or rather, I, do. It hinges on the reason Hawk Moth wants your miraculouses. Plagg told me about your mother. I am very sorry, but I just cannot allow your father to have his way here.”

“I know, Sifu.” He closed his eyes for one tortured moment. “My mother wouldn’t have wanted him to do any of this, I’m sure of that. But… can I just ask what would be so wrong with… bringing my mother back?”

“It is only a bad thing in that it upsets the balance, Adrien. The world must remain in balance. Your mother is already dead. She is already missing from life. To restore her to the life she has lost would be to tear a hole in the fabric of the world, a hole that must be filled, or it will end in the destruction of everything.” Master Fu paused. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I know what it is to lose people you love. But this cannot be.”

Adrien looked down and nodded. He didn’t think he could speak around the lump in his throat. And to think, he’d been so happy a few moments earlier, just walking down the street holding Marinette’s hand. He reached for her hand again and she squeezed it wordlessly.

“There is also the the fact that, given the intensely personal nature of the wish, and the evil he has forced his own kwami to do in the meantime, it’s quite likely that his wish will result either in his death… or yours.”

Marinette gasped and Adrien’s mouth fell open. “What? Why?”

“Miraculouses are not meant to be used for dark purposes. They have a way of punishing those who do so. So. Our goal is not only to keep him from gaining the use of your miraculouses as usual, but also to heal him so that he no longer wishes either to be Hawk Moth, or to bring your mother back to life.”

Adrien felt his throat closing up again. It was… almost too much. He tried to breathe, but it was difficult. Only Marinette’s steady pressure on their joined hands kept him anywhere close to alright.

“You said you had a plan, Master Fu,” Marinette reminded him.

“I do. In essence it is what Hawk Moth himself would do- use your two miraculouses in tandem ourselves, but combining their power to defeat and heal Hawk Moth of his obsession, instead of changing reality.”

Wordlessly Adrien started taking his ring off. Master Fu put his own hand on top of Adrien’s. “No, Adrien, not like that. I am not asking either of you to give up your miraculous to the other.”

Adrien breathed a little easier, slipping the ring back down his finger. Focus on the plan, that was all he had to do at the moment. He concentrated on Master Fu.

Fu looked from one to the other. “You have always been a team, working together, and that is the best way to defeat Hawk Moth still. One alone is no match for him, and even with my plan, it will require the use of other miraculouses. Even the bee miraculous,” he said, looking at Marinette.

Adrien nodded. “I’m sure Chloe would love to help us again.”

Marinette just sighed. “Do you think she will, though? Now that she knows who Ladybug is? We’ve never gotten along very well.”

“If she will not, we will find another. But I think you will find her willing.”

“But how are we going to combine our powers if neither of us will be wearing both miraculouses?”

“There is as ritual. It… involves both of you becoming one for a time.”

Adrien felt the blood rush to his face and abruptly dropped Marinette’s hand. From the corner of his eye he saw Marinette sit up straighter and put both hands primly in her lap. 

Master Fu chuckled. “No, not that way, my children. It’s much more complicated than that. Do you recall Oblivio?”

“Uh… not really. Not after a certain point, anyway.” Adrien replied, trying to suppress his flush in vain. That was still a sore spot for both of them, not knowing what had happened that led to the kiss Alya had recorded between their superhero selves. It had driven both of them wild, for opposite reasons. Now, they knew that knowing their civilian identities had likely been the cause of that, but… still. And this meeting with Fu was turning into an emotional rollercoaster that Adrien would very much like to get off of.

“Oh, I think I see… Oblivio was both Alya and Nino. They were merged together somehow to make Oblivio, weren’t they?” Marinette said.

“Yes. Hawk Moth's power merged them into one entity. Do you know why he was able to do that?"

Adrien thought for a moment, pouncing on the need for logical analysis. "They both wanted the same thing, to make everyone forget about what happened when they snuck off together."

Master Fu nodded. "And they wanted it badly enough to accept Hawk Moth's akuma. You two can do the same thing if you agree on a single goal and put passion behind it."

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other. "So… we have to agree on what to do about Hawk Moth? But we already do! Why can’t we just do that right now, then?”

Master Fu smiled enigmatically.

"Alya and Nino had the akuma to merge them together. Do we need something like that?" Adrien asked, after a moment.

Master Fu nodded. “It's more complicated for us because we need the help of all the current miraculous users. Only Hawk Moth's miraculous is strong enough to grant abilities to others on it's own. But if enough other kwamis, or their owners, agree, they can merge their powers to grant abilities to other miraculouses."

"How does that work, exactly?"

Master Fu shook his head. "I don't really know. I didn't get that far in my studies. All I know is that the spell book outlines a ritual to do so."

"What spell book?"

Marinette chuckled nervously. "Hey, uh, Master Fu, can you… give us a minute? Aheh… "

"In a moment, Marinette, but I see you have the right idea already," Master Fu said approvingly. "You must both tell each other all the things you would rather hide away. You cannot merge and remain whole if one or the other of you is keeping something back. If you were to try it, the spellbook warns that you either would not be able to merge completely, or, if you did, the miraculous you wear could become damaged. Or one other of your personalities could overpower the other, and when the ritual was complete whichever one of you was effected would be… less."

Adrien stared at him, "This sounds really dangerous, Master! Are you sure we can do this? Should we?"

"If your will is strong and your hearts united, you will be able to do this and save your father from himself. I will leave you alone now. It will be easier to bare your hearts if no one but your kwamis are present."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for my own curiosity, and because I'm fairly new to this fandom, what's the consensus on the spelling of Cat Noir's name? I see a lot of fics that keep the french spelling, but since I've only ever watched the english dubs, that seems... wrong to me. Thoughts?


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien frowned as Master Fu got up and walked out of the room. Tikki and Plagg stopped eating and came over to hover beside their owners. "So… uh, I'm not really sure how to start," he said, looking over at Marinette and rubbing the back of his head. He tried to think if there was anything he'd been keeping secret from her, but nothing came to mind since she knew he was Cat Noir now. Truth to tell, the last thing he wanted to do for the rest of the day was pull up embarrassing memories. His emotions were too raw for that to be any kind of comfortable.

"Well… it turns out this is the perfect opportunity to tell you something I would much rather you not know about me." Marinette was blushing again, and this time even Adrien could tell it was because she was uncomfortable.

"I'm the one who stole your father's book of inspiration," Marinette said in a rush, and refusing to look at him. "See… it turns out that it was actually a book about the miraculous and their powers… and how to change them to get certain effects. Like dealing with ice, or underwater." Marinette bit her lip and tapped her fingers together. "I gave it back after Master Fu copied the pages into his smartphone and I asked your dad not to tell you. I told him a lie about being embarrassed cause I didn't want you to know I was looking at your book without your permission. It's… also why I thought he was Hawk Moth a couple months ago."

Adrian's mouth was hanging open again. The whole debacle with losing his father's book, being grounded… that was because of Marinette? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. "But… when did you take it? I didn't even know it was gone until after I met Lila… at the park…" the answer was coming to him now that he thought about it. "And you showed up as Ladybug. Right." Now he was getting angry again. "You were spying on us?"

Marinette hung her head. "Yes."

To her credit, she didn't try to justify herself.

"Why?" Adrien asked with a little less accusation in his tone.

Marinette heaved a sigh. "It wasn't just the book. It was Lila. I knew she was lying to you and… I couldn't stand that. I know I went overboard with her. I made an enemy when I didn't have to. But I saw her take the book out of your bag at the library, and then when you met her at the park, instead of giving it back to you, she put it in a trash bin!" She sounded sincerely upset about that at least. 

"But how did you know about the book in the first place?"

"It was me," a small voice piped up. Tikki moved over in front of him. "I saw you looking at it in the library and recognized it for what it was. Plagg is so lazy I’m not surprised he didn’t recognize it right away. But he should have!” She glared at the other kwami, who just shrugged. “Anyway, I'm the one who pushed Marinette to take the book. It was too important, and Master Fu had been looking for it for so long!"

Adrien looked at Marinette again. "Is that true?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes. But… I shouldn't have done it." 

Adrien sat thinking about everything for a few moments. If Marinette hadn't taken the book… but she'd said Lila had taken it out of his bag at the library. So the theft was originally Lila's, which didn't surprise him at all now. But if Marinette had simply given him the book back, or left it where he could find it… but then, she wouldn't even have known about it if she hadn't been spying on him! 

But the thing was… it had lead to a lead on Hawk Moth. A lead that turned out to be accurate, even though he had managed to deflect suspicion by somehow akumatizing himself.

But she'd spied on him! How did he know that was the only time? He felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. 

"Did you ever do it again? Spy on me, I mean."

"Um… yes. Once. It was when Lila came back, that first day. I'm really sorry."

Adrien heaved a sigh. "Wow. Uh, I knew you didn't like Lila, and she did turn out to be evil, but… I don't like being spied on."

Marinette didn't say anything for a minute. "I don't want to keep things from you anymore, even if… if they make me look bad. Really bad."

Adrien shrugged. "Well, is there anything else, since we're on the subject?"

"Um… I memorized your schedule... and I've made you a lot of gifts in secret."

Adrien pulled his knees up and loosely hugged them. "Marinette… I don't really know what to think right now. Um, I think I'm going to go see what Master Fu is doing."

He got up abruptly and left the way Master Fu had gone. Plagg looked at Marinette for a long moment before following Adrien through the door.

\----

"Oh, Tikki… I really messed this up!" Marinette pulled her knees up to her chest and hid her face in the hollow made by wrapping her arms around them.

"It's going to be ok, Marinette," Tikki said, hovering close by. "He asked you to be honest with him, and that's what you did. And it's necessary for the merging to work properly. He may be mad now, or even hurt a little. But you'll see, he will forgive you. You two have something that pulls you together, something beyond just being a superhero team."

"You really think so? I don't want to lose him, Tikki. Not when we just found each other… and we still have to face Hawk Moth! Can we even do that if he's mad at me, or… or doesn't trust me anymore?"

“I don’t know Marinette. But don’t you think it’s better for him to find out all these things now? He’d feel even worse if he found out you’d kept it a secret after you promised not to keep secrets anymore.”

“Yeah.” Marinette sighed. “I just hope…” she didn’t finish the sentence.

\----

Adrien went down the short hall away from the front door, looking for Master Fu. His head was in a whirl, and he didn’t know what to think anymore. So much had happened in the last two days, so much new information, transformational information that changed how he had to look at things, and… he needed time to process it.

He saw a bench in the hall, probably for waiting clients, and sat down on in it. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes, just letting his mind drift where it wanted to instead of trying to force his thoughts in a particular direction. He didn’t notice Plagg drift by him on his own way down the hall, so a few minutes passed in which he achieved a modicum of calmness before Master Fu sat down on the bench next to him. The old man didn’t say anything, for which Adrien was grateful. He wasn’t ready to talk yet.

Finally he sighed. “This… it’s just a mess, isn’t it? So many secrets and lies… I can’t decide what to think anymore.”

Master Fu remained silent a moment, then said, “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch, or tangle, but it will not break.”

Adrien sighed. “What’s that supposed to mean.”

“It means I chose you and Marinette for a reason, Adrien. The two of you have a strong connection to each other, you both felt it almost immediately. The only difference was that you felt it for Marinette as Ladybug, and she felt it for you as Adrien. And you are both still quite young. You have made mistakes with each other, and I am sure you will make many more. 

I said earlier that you have much to be angry about, and I meant it. Mistakes hurt. The feelings come whether you want them to or not. What matters is how you deal with the hurt, with the feelings.”

“She spied on me! She flat out told me it was because she didn’t think I’d see through LIla’s lies. And… and she took the book.” Now the hurt came out. “Doesn’t she trust me at all? I’m really not as innocent and naive as everyone seems to think!”

“When Marinette brought the book to me, I asked her where she had gotten it. She lied to me. She said she had found it on the park bench, with no one nearby. Do you know why she did that?”

“No.” Adrien hung his head in defeat at this new evidence of lies from the girl he loved.

“It was because I had told her that the person who owned the book was most likely Hawk Moth.” Master Fu was looking at him steadily when Adrien looked up at him.

“She… she thought it was me, didn’t she?”

“No. But she thought I would think you were Hawk Moth if she told me the truth, and she could not bear that. She didn’t know then that you were Cat Noir, and that I had given both of you your miraculouses, so obviously she couldn’t know that I would never suspect you could be Hawk Moth.”

Adrien frowned. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this.”

“The last two days have been very confusing for you. I am trying to give you some perspective.” Master Fu put a hand on his knee. “She returned the book to your father so that you would not be kept a prisoner in your own house anymore. And Plagg tells me that you made her promise not to keep secrets from you anymore. Now, didn’t she take the first opportunity to tell you this that offered itself? Even though it meant she might lose your good opinion? Even though it could jeopardize our whole plan to defeat Hawk Moth and save your father?”

“What do you mean? How could knowing this hurt the plan… oh. If I don’t trust her…”

“You will not be able to merge,” Master Fu finished, nodding.

Adrien sighed and rubbed at his face with both hands. “I think… what you’re saying, is that she cares more about not lying to me than anything else?”

“I would say so.”

Adrien considered this. Master Fu patted his knee and rose. “I am going to make us all some tea.” And he went back down the hall.

Adrien sat there for a few more minutes trying to decide… everything. How he felt, what he should do next. Everything. Finally, he came to a decision and rose. He went back to the front room, where he saw Marinette huddled in an obvious little ball of misery, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. It touched his heart and everything else faded away. 

“Marinette?”

She seemed to shrink further into herself. He came and sat down, and wrapped his arms around her. “Marinette… it’s ok. I understand. And… thank you for telling me. Yourself, I mean.”

She sniffed and finally looked at him. “I made a promise.”

“And you’re keeping it.”

He smiled at her sadly. “Look, I’m still not happy about it, but it happened months ago. I… wish you’d told me instead of sneaking around behind my back, but… you know, I fell in love with Ladybug. And I only saw Ladybug for a few minutes a day, and usually we were busy fighting. It’s easy to… put someone on a pedestal when you only see them at their best.”

“But I made mistakes as Ladybug, too! I was too hard on Chloe, I made an outright enemy of Lila, I lost a miraculous…”

“I’m not saying I thought she was perfect. Well, I did think she was perfect, but that was because I didn’t really know her. Anytime she made a mistake, she just corrected it, usually then and there. And then we went our separate ways again.” He frowned a little. “I didn’t know Ladybug as a person, I knew her as the almost fearless, incredibly capable and clever leader of our team. I trusted her, but… I realize now that she’s been more of an image in my head than a person. I wanted to get to know her, but… she always put me off.

With you… I’ve known you as a person, Marinette. And no, you’re not perfect. But you’re kind, and generous, and incredibly talented. You make mistakes, sometimes really bad ones, but… you always try to do the right thing. You did do the right thing by giving the book back to my father, even if it took a while for you to do it. And I understand why you spied on me and Lila. I don’t like it- I wish you’d trusted me to see through her lies on my own. I’m pretty sure I would have, even if you hadn’t shown up as Ladybug to shout at her. But I know why you did. And I want you to know… I love you, too.”

She unwound herself enough that he could hug her properly, and they stayed that way until Master Fu came in with a tray of teacups.


	16. Chapter 16

Mayura stood before the giant rose window in the butterfly chamber, searching for the kind of frustration and discontent or even fear that made for the best sentimonsters. Something truly spectacular. 

Gabriel wanted her to take up the heroes time? Very well. She would do her best.

She searched and searched, but perhaps due to the events of the day, the city was relatively calm. A direct message from Paris’ saviours tended to do that. While she was searching, she wondered if Gabriel had developed a blind-spot when it came to Lila Rossi.

She was increasingly uncomfortable with their arrangement with her. When she’d gotten back to the house the night before, only to find the absolute wreck of the memorial garden and Gabriel and the bodyguard out cold in front of the capsule with a huge hole in the floor, her first thought had been to check for Gabriel’s miraculous. When she hadn’t found it, she’d feared the worst. Not only had the heroes gotten away, but they’d also robbed Gabriel of his most potent weapon.

Then she’d seen movement in the pit below and discovered Lila, digging around in the rubble. She’d immediately pounced on her for information. Lila hadn’t been there when Adrien and the girl had escaped. It seemed she’d been left behind in the butterfly room and found her way down to the memorial garden when she’d felt the whole house shake. Privately, Mayura doubted that. The girl lied with every breath she took. Most likely, she’d followed close behind when the others started down, but had stayed out of range to avoid attracting attention, and so had been able to escape Gabriel and the bodyguard’s fate of being knocked cold.

The ladybug earrings and black cat ring were both gone, of course, but Lila had apparently just discovered the brooch of the butterfly when Mayura arrived. She’d tried to hide it, too, and only admitted to finding it when Mayura pressed her about it. Fortunately, she’d handed it over without complaint, but… that girl would bear more watching than they currently had the resources for.

And now Gabriel was talking about giving the girl a permanent akuma to keep close for whenever she needed special powers. Mayura couldn’t argue that not needing to keep his full attention on her was beneficial, but she could also see more than one way that could go very wrong, very quickly.

But it wasn’t her decision. She knew very well Gabriel would go to any lengths to revive Emilie, and she herself was only a part of that equation. She would do her job, but part of that job was being competent enough to recognize problems and deal with them before they became catastrophic.

Lila was going to be a problem, Mayura knew that. The secondary problem was she didn’t quite know what to do about her… yet. She let it stew in the back of her mind, all while she continued her search, meager as the pickings were.

\----

Lila lurked outside Alya’s apartment, absolutely certain her classmate would be meeting with Marinette-the-insufferable-beetle before the night was over. Her mother was tied up in meetings at the embassy and wouldn’t miss her… of course. Lila’s plan was simple. She would follow Alya whenever she left, and then use that information to her own advantage with Hawk Moth and Mayura. It was a pity Mayura had turned up just as she found the butterfly brooch, but that couldn’t be helped. Mayura was awfully suspicious of her already and not turning it over wasn’t an option at that point.

Fortunately, she had a suspicion that Marinette and Adrien just might take refuge with whoever had the rest of the miraculous jewels, in which case… She smiled slyly to herself and sipped at her coffee, settling into the window frame with her binoculars trained on Alya’s living room window.

\----

Alya was having a hard time getting away from her overprotective family. She wisely hadn’t said anything about meeting Nino to any of them, since they were all in survival mode and would have immediately nixed any plans of leaving the familial nest. They were all huddled around the TV in the living room, watching the news like the world was ending. There had been two sightings of sentimonsters that afternoon, though Ladybug and Cat Noir had quickly taken care of them. While that seemed to worry her parents, it actually made Alya feel better. Her friends might be hurting, but they were still up for a fight.

Alya, meanwhile, puttered around the living room and kitchen, cleaning this here, putting that away there. She was hoping that she could lull them into a false sense of security if they saw little flashes of her out of the corner of their eyes long enough.

The twins were in their room, pretending to be “Maribug”- as they had christened Ladybug since they learned of the big reveal- and Cat Noir. A giant teddy bear Nora had won at the fair a couple years ago was standing in for Hawk Moth, and the two of them were gleefully kicking its butt. The sounds of “hi-ya!” coming from their room actually gave Alya an idea.

“Hey N-Anansi,” she said, sitting down next to her big sis on the couch. “Don’t you think you could give the twins some pointers on how best to defeat “Hawk Moth,” she asked, making the air quotes and nodding to the open door of their little sisters’ room. “I mean, it’s never too early to learn good technique, right? I’d volunteer, but I don’t have any titles under my belt.” She winked.

Anansi raised her eyebrows, considering. “Not a bad idea, Alya. Little whippersnappers need some coaching! I got this.” She pranced off to the twins room, and by the sound of the shrieks and yelling, the twins had decided Anansi made a much better “Hawk Moth” than the teddy bear.

Alya turned her attention to her parents, who were sitting cuddled together with cold cups of coffee in their hands, worried expressions on their faces, as they listened to the doom-saying of reporters who had never enjoyed such a high ratings day since the first appearance of Hawk Moth, Ladybug, and Cat Noir had turned the realities of life in Paris upside down.

“Hey mom, dad, how about some tea instead of that coffee? Don’t you think it would help you relax?”

“... Sure, honey. Thanks.” Her mom took a second to respond. It was clear her attention was on anything but her middle child. Alya felt a tiny prick of guilt for taking advantage of her parents’ distraction this way, but it would give her a solid alibi and excuse for leaving the house.

Alya went back to the kitchen and rummaged loudly through the cupboards “looking for tea.” When she “didn’t find any,” she said as much and quickly said she’d just run to the corner store for some. And since she was walking backward to the door as she was saying it, she had left the apartment before she ever had a chance to hear a word her parents might have said about her proposed trip to the convenience store.

She raced down the stairs, but instead of going out the front door as she normally would have, she ran out the back way, into the alley. She was tempted to transform into Rena Rouge, but she didn’t want to do that so close to her own home. Instead she dashed down a network of alleys until she was at least a couple of city blocks away. Then she ducked behind a dumpster and transformed, taking to the sky. Trixx had told her earlier where to go to detransform and meet Nino.

After she detransformed, she came out onto a moderately busy street, with lit store windows and a bistro or two. Trixx concealed herself in Alya’s hair again and Alya walked along until she saw Nino waiting outside a small chinese takeaway.

He waved. She hurried to him. “Hey there, stranger. Fancy meeting you here.”

“And what would a beautiful woman like you want with me?” 

Alya giggled. “Well, I was hoping I could convince someone to buy me dinner.”

“As the lady commands,” Nino said and opened the door for her with as elaborate a bow as he could pull off.

The takeaway had two small tables inside where customers could wait, or eat quickly, so they took over one and soon had styrofoam containers of fried rice and noodles in front of them. As they ate, Alya wondered if Nino would pick up on the cues she planned to use as an excuse to go into whatever kind of shop Master Fu ran. She wished she could ask Wayzz, or Trixx. Then she made an excuse to go to the bathroom, and did ask Trixx.

“What kind of shop does Master Fu have? Does he sell tea, for example?”

Trixx nodded. “I knew I liked you. Perfect excuse.”

“Awesome.” Alya got out her phone and texted a script to Nino before coming back out of the bathroom.

“Hey,” she said as she sat back down. “I promised my parents I’d get them some soothing tea while I was out,” she said. “Do you know anywhere around here I can get that? I don’t really know this area.”

Nino blinked at her and then grinned mock casually. “Uh, sure Alya! Of course I know a place. He’s got every kind of tea you could want.”

Alya raised an eyebrow at his overacting, but ran with it anyway. “Great! Let’s go ahead and take off, then.” They left and walked down the street a little ways, then around the corner. There was a small shop advertising chinese energy healing and massage, and Nino opened that door. They heard voices from the front room abruptly cut off, then a red kwami with a black dot on her head stuck her head through the wall. She popped it back through and a moment later, the door opened and Alya found herself hugged within an inch of her life.

“Alya! I’m so glad you’re here.” Marinette babbled in her ear. “Please save me from myself!”

“Um,” Alya managed to get out, “... ok?”

Nino meanwhile had peeked through the door. He gasped and said, “Adrien?!” and then he disappeared through the door as well. 

“Ah,” Alya said. “Now I understand.” She patted Marinette’s shoulder soothingly. “Come on, girl. Let’s get you back in there.”

“Alya, wait. I… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was Ladybug. I’m sorry I lied to you so many times, about so many different things. I just… I thought it all had to be a secret.”

“Hey, girl,” Alya said, smiling. “I get it! You even told me as much, remember? You told me once that if you were Ladybug, you wouldn’t even tell your best friend, to protect her. Well, thanks. Aaaaand, thanks for making me Rena Rouge!” she said, pulling the fox necklace out from under her shirt. “It’s totally awesome! I LOVE getting to be a superhero, and now that I know Ladybug happens to be my best friend, it’s even more awesome!”

“Aww,” Marinette smiled at her. “Thanks, Alya. It’s pretty awesome for me, too.”

“Well, I would hope so! Now come on, I want to find out why Adrien is here of all places. Where’s Cat Noir?” Alya grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door.

“Aheh…” Marinette tried to resist, but Alya pulled her along anyway.

She stopped short at seeing Adrien, though. He didn’t look at all like his normal self. He was wearing a very different outfit and a hat. If it hadn’t been for his bright green eyes and the way he and Nino were chatting, Alya would have dismissed him as just another kid.

“Wow! New duds, huh, Adrien?”

“It was Marinette’s idea. We got some… volunteer help earlier today, and she picked new outfits for both of us.” Adrien’s gaze shifted to Marinette and… there was something different about the way he was looking at her.

Alya narrowed her eyes, but turned to look at her best friend too. She hadn’t noticed the new outfit because she’d been too focused on Marinette’s panic, but it was cute! She was wearing her hair differently, and the tones of her outfit were blue and black instead of pink, white, and charcoal grey. It really brought out the blue of her eyes.

“You look supercute! Good job, girl!”

“Yeah, she’s pretty talented.” Adrien’s smile made Marinette blush.

Alya caught Nino’s eye and they exchanged interested glances.

“There’s something different between you two,” Alya stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now, I’m not nosey at all… but I do like a good scoop. Spill it!”

Adrien looked over at a small chinese man who was standing to the side leaning on a cane. The man nodded, and Adrien took a step back. “Are you ready?” he asked, looking between Alya and Nino. 

Nino shrugged but Alya nodded eagerly, sensing something amazing was about to happen. And then Adrien transformed into Cat Noir.

“Aaaaah!” Alya shouted, grabbing her hair and pulling it in excitement. “I knew it! I said so!” She rounded on Marinette. “Didn’t I say so! I said he looked like Cat Noir with a black suit and mask. Ooooh yes! I was right!” 

She did a victory fistpump, bumping into Nino, who was staring at Adrien/Cat Noir with his mouth open. She stopped abruptly and pointed a finger at both her friends. “THAT’S what it is! You know about each other now! Ooooohoho, I wish I could have seen the looks on your faces! Oh! To have been a fly on the wall!”

A bright flash distracted her, and then Adrien and Marinette were both blushing and looking conscious. “Eeeeee…!” Alya’s glee was close to overwhelming even her capacity for glee. “I can’t wait to tell Rose! She’s going to explode!”

Then something happened to put the cherry on top. Adrien, who had been rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, looked over at Marinette, who was cringing, smiled, and then walked over and took her hands.

“We don’t have anything to be embarrassed about, Marinette,” he said quietly. And Alya almost couldn’t believe what happened next. Because instead of crumbling into a gooshy pile of mixed up sentences and awkward denials, Marinette took a deep breath and smiled up at Adrien. “You’re right. After all, it’s not like we really did love other people all this time. It was just… us.”

Alya whispered, “Yes! You go, girl,” all while grinning fit to burst.

“So…” Nino said slowly. “Does this mean you’re going to date Marinette, now? Cause dude, I gotta tell ya, she’s like, perfect for you.”

“I think so too, and I would very much like to… after we defeat Hawk Moth,” Adrien said, turning his head to look at the chinese man, and calling Alya’s attention back to him. He hadn’t moved, but he was watching the scene in front of him with a very satisfied look on his face. Beside him hovered Wayzz.

“Alya, Nino, this is Master Fu,” Marinette said, stepping in to perform introductions. “He is the last guardian of the miraculous. He’s their keeper, he knows all the rules, and he decides, mostly, who to give miraculous to. He’s also 186 years old, and the usual wearer of the turtle miraculous.”

“Hello Alya, current bearer of the Fox miraculous, and Nino, current bearer of the Turtle miraculous. You don’t know me, but I have watched you both in action, and it was I who gave you your miraculouses last night, seeing as Ladybug was busy at the time.”

Master Fu moved forward as he spoke, and gestured to the large cushioned mat on the floor. “Won’t you have a seat? We have much to discuss.”

“Oh, wait! Before I forget- Master Fu, do you happen to sell soothing teas? I… kind of made that my excuse for going out tonight.” Alya said, moving toward the mat.

“I will send you home with something very soothing, Alya. But now, we must discuss what’s to be done about Hawk Moth, and it will take the two of you helping, along with all the others who have borne miraculouses in the last few months, however briefly.”

As they took seats on the mat, Alya and Marinette next to each other with Nino and Adrien on the outsides, Alya leaned over and whispered, “I’m so happy for you, girl!” and squeezed her arm. Marinette smiled back, and then they gave all their attention to Master Fu.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates this weekend. Had a family birthday party, and then this chapter needed a lot of work.
> 
> ...I love writing Alya and Nino. They're just so fun to write!

After Master Fu explained the basic plan, they started talking about worst case scenarios. What if Chameleon put one of them to sleep before they could merge? What if Mayura conjured up a monstrous, mindless thing for them to fight so Hawk Moth could get away? What if, what if, what if… after a while everyone’s mind was getting dull, so Master Fu decided to make tea before sending Alya and Nino home again.

After Master Fu left the room, Adrien watched Alya pull Marinette aside, so he took the opportunity to ask Nino a very important question.

“Hey Nino,” he asked turning to his friend. “What did it feel like, to be Oblivio? Could you guys give us some idea what to expect? It might make it easier for us.”

“No, dude, I don’t really remember. I just remember being super embarrassed, and just… wanting everyone to forget about it. I didn’t even see the akuma coming for us… and I can’t really remember what Hawk Moth said to us, either. After that… one big void, dude, until Ladybug and Chat Noir… eheh, well, you guys,” he said with a grin and a cheesy point, “saved us and we split again. Honestly, the first thing I remember after being found in the closet was seeing you two kissing on the roof of the Montparnasse Tower.”

Adrien smiled sadly. “I wish I could remember what happened before that. Marinette’s miraculous ladybugs erased everything from after we got hit with Oblivio’s memory erasing energy, but it must have been… enlightening. The only proof we had that things had changed between us was that picture Alya took of us kissing. And when we got “put back,” she was so obviously horrified by it that I didn’t want to push it. Much, anyway.” He smiled. “At least no one’s going to erase our memories now. But I do wish you could remember something… it might help her relax about all this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Master Fu wants us to tell each other all the embarrassing little stuff we’d rather keep to ourselves. It’s dangerous for us to do this, and we can’t hold anything back. So… anyway, Marinette’s been having a hard time with it.”

Nino blinked. “With what?”

“You know, telling me all her little secrets. Some of them are kinda weird, but the way I see it, it just means she really cares about me- more than anyone else ever has, anyway. And I’ve been telling her my stuff, too.”

“Like what, Mr. Perfect? Did you cheat on a test once, or something?” 

Something about the way Nino said it made Adrien stop and think. “What do you mean?”

“Dude, she is telling you stuff that she never wants you to know. That’s rough, dude! You can’t tell her stuff like cheating on a test. You gotta think of something that’s like, I don’t know.... important with a capital ‘I’.”

Adrien frowned. “But it’s all stuff I don’t want her to know.” And if she still loved him after knowing his own father was the supervillain who had been trying to kill both of them for over a year, he wasn’t sure what he could possibly have done in his life that would compare with such a revelation. If he’d found out on his own, he wasn’t sure he’d have had the guts to tell her anyway. Hm. That was an embarrassing thought, now that he came to think of it.

“Yeah, but it’s not bothering you either, is it? If you want to make her feel more comfortable, you’ve got to step up and make yourself uncomfortable.”

“How do you know this?”

“Alya makes me read stuff in her girly magazines sometimes. It’s all about, like, communicating in the relationship and stuff.”

“Oh. Ok. I’ll… try to come up with something.”

“Sure thing, dude. And hey… you know she’s had a major crush on you for like, ever, right?”

Adrien felt himself blushing. “I’m… beginning to realize that.”

“Well… I’m just glad it worked out. Now we can go on double dates! Two superdudes with their superladies… it’s gonna be awesome!”

That made Adrien laugh. But what Nino had said stayed in the back of his mind. What would genuinely embarrass him to tell Marinette about? It was hard to shift from thinking of Marinette as a friend to thinking of her as Ladybug, the love of his life. He knew she was, but when she wasn’t transformed, it was easy to forget. Unless he thought about that kiss… he smiled remembering it. He’d like to do that again, but for much longer. And then it came to him.

He’d often daydreamed about Ladybug, what it would be like to kiss her, what it would be like if he revealed his true identity to her… what she might say or do in return. Funnily enough, he’d never daydreamed about who she might be. He’d almost been afraid to put a familiar face beneath the mask. 

But just thinking of telling anyone about those daydreams, some of which got… detailed… made him hot under the collar. So… maybe that would do it?

That was when he snuck another peek at the girls and noticed that Marinette was wilting visibly. He’d noticed her doing that a lot during their share session in the afternoon, and had actually welcomed the breaks the sentimonsters had provided, since they’d seemed to boost her confidence levels quite a bit.

\----

After getting all the details of their current relationship status, Alya had to ask. “So… I don’t get it. Why were you so panicked when we got here? You and Adrien are obviously together now, so…”

Marinette sighed and drooped. “It’s this merging thing,” she said. “It’s really dangerous Alya if we don’t do it right. So we have to… confess things… to each other. You know, the really really embarrassing stuff that you don’t want anyone to ever know? That stuff.”

Alya grimaced in sympathy. “But he’s telling you things, too, right?”

“Yes, but Alya, all of his “embarrassing things,” are like… I don’t know, they seem like little stuff, things that don’t really matter? And I…” she looked at Alya desperately. “Alya, I have been a crazy stalker fan-girl! I memorized his schedule, I created overly complicated schemes just to talk to him… I have a chest full of presents in my bedroom that I made for ... for the next thirty years! Come on, in my saner moments, even I know that’s crazy overboard!” She covered her face with her hands and moaned. “He’s going to stop loving me because of how obsessive I’ve been. I just know it.”

Alya was about to reassure her when Adrien himself made that a moot point. He was on his way over with a determined expression on his face and Alya was, honestly, curious to see what he was going to do.

Marinette still had her hands clamped tightly over her face, but that didn't stop the painful red color from showing. Adrien hung one arm over her shoulders and gave Alya a half-smile.

"Let me guess… the 37 birthday and Christmas presents, right?"

Alya's eyebrows rose at the exact number. Marinette must have added a few since she last asked. But she nodded, confirmed a second later by Marinette's heartfelt groan.

Adrien's half smile stretched to a full one and he winked at Alya. "You know what I said earlier about that, bugaboo…"

Alya narrowed her eyes in speculation as, incredibly, Marinette's blush deepened. Then Adrien pulled her around to face him, forced her hands down, and started kissing her right hand, working his way to the wrist, then moving up the arm... each one was just a quick peck, but he was counting them. Marinette rolled her eyes and covered her grin with her left hand.

"One" 

*kiss* 

"Two" 

*kiss* 

"Three" 

*kiss* 

"Four" 

*kiss* 

"Five" 

*kiss* 

"Six" 

*kiss*

...

Alya got her phone out and started filming when he got to twelve. It was the cutest thing, honestly…

Until Adrien started crying around twenty as he reached her shoulder…

He was a sobbing wreck by the time he finished with the thirty-seventh kiss on her temple, burying his face in the crook of Marinette's neck and pulling them both down to the floor as he himself collapsed.

Alya had put her phone away when she first noticed tears, and Nino had come to stand beside her at the very beginning. They weren't quite sure what to do. Marinette stroked Adrien's hair and held him close, attention so firmly on him that Alya and Nino edged away, feeling like intruders. Whatever had just happened, they would ask about it later.

Adrien managed to pull himself together after a few minutes and released Marinette. He rubbed his face on his arm, and took some steadying breaths before allowing Marinette to pull him back up.

"Sorry about that," he said thickly, "I just… she cares… you care…" he wiped his eyes again, and cupped Marinette's cheek with one hand. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you can look so far in the future and imagine… good things. That we're still together."

Without warning, Nino surprised Adrien in a bear hug. "She's not the only one, bro."

"Yeah," Alya whispered, joining the hug. "You can't get rid of us that easily, Agreste."

Adrien sniffled and chuckled a little. "I-I am sorry, though. That was supposed to be sweet and mischievous, not… not depressing."

"It's been a long day," Master Fu said from the doorway. "Perhaps a cup of tea and then we call it a day."

They broke apart, Alya and Nino both still worried and wondering what the heck had just happened, but not wanting to push it.

So they drank tea and then they said their goodbyes.

Alya gave Marinette a warm hug and whispered, just in case she still needed encouragement, “Girl, you are fourteen. You haven’t done anything any fourteen year old girl wouldn’t do. Didn’t your mom tell you your hormones were going to make you crazy for a while? Mine totally did. Apparently Nora didn’t weather puberty that well, and she wanted to put me on the right track from the start. And besides… I don’t think Adrien got the memo on what constitutes stalker-behavior and what doesn’t.”

“Thanks Alya. I think I'll be ok.” Marinette whispered. “What would I do without you, bestie?”

“Probably have a nervous breakdown,” Alya said matter of factly, and they both laughed.

\----

Marinette’s face saddened watching them leave. She sighed and rubbed her arms a little. Adrien touched her elbow, hesitant. “You ok? I’m sorry about before…” he began.

“Marinette, Adrien, come back in here please.”

Adrien sighed and Marinette hung her head for a moment. Then she smiled at him and they both went through into the big front room.

“You two can stay here tonight. It should be safe enough, but if someone did track any of you here, I will have two extra guards for the miracle box.”

“Thank you, Master Fu.”

“Adrien, I have an extra cot for you in my bedroom. Marinette, you can sleep here.”

“Ok. What’s our plan for tomorrow?”

“Contact the other miraculous holders and bring them into the loop.”

“That’s going to be hard without attracting attention, isn’t it?” Marinette asked, wrapping her arms around herself again. Adrien hugged her from behind, trying to lend her some warmth.

“Yes, but we will mostly work through phones. I have seen enough American television shows that I know cheap, disposable phones will work just fine for our purpose. But for now, it is late, and… everyone has had a long day.” Master Fu got up and Adrien noticed for the first time how tired he looked.

His own energy levels were low, but he really wasn’t looking forward to a dark room with nothing to distract him from his thoughts. And he wasn’t sure how to say goodnight to Marinette. Their relationship was so new… yet felt so right. Should he kiss her again? Should he just... leave?

Master Fu walked past them and said, “I’ll give you a few more minutes, but don’t be too long, Adrien.” He looked briefly over his shoulder with a small smile. “I was a young man once, too, you know.”

Adrien was almost too tired to blush, but his body made the effort for him. Marinette didn’t seem to have noticed.

“Hey,” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head and smiled wanly. “It’s been a long day. Are you going to be ok in here all by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine! Tikki is here, so I won’t be alone.” She pulled his arms into a tighter hug around her and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m starting to space out, I think.”

Adrien smiled. “How about a real hug then,” he said. She turned within his arms to face him and wrapped hers around his torso, head resting on his chest just below his chin. They stayed that way for a few minutes. Having her so close without the pressure of emotional drama made Adrien want to kiss her again, but he wasn’t sure how to ask. Did you just go for it? Did you ask out loud? Did you watch for some kind of cue?

Marinette sagged a bit against his chest, seeming like she was already half asleep. “Good night, Marinette,” he said into her hair, then kissed the top of her head. She lifted it at that and said, “Goodnight Adrien. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Reluctantly, Adrien let her go and followed Master Fu out into the hall.

\----

Marinette didn’t watch Adrien go, she just went to the chest of drawers where Master Fu had told her earlier she could find blankets and pillow. She flopped herself down on the bed and tried to forget about everything that had happened. So much. Too much. She drifted into sleep almost immediately. Tikki hovered watchfully over her head for a moment before settling herself on the pillow next to her.

\----

Adrien lay on the cot in Master Fu’s room, listening to the old man breathe. He’d never shared a room with anyone before. His father was far too controlling to allow sleepovers, of course. Plagg was nestled into the blankets by his side, for all the world like a real, though tiny, kitten. He’d demanded more cheese before bed, but Adrien had refused, not wanting to smell camembert breath all night long as had happened on one hideous occasion.

He was exhausted, but only physically and emotionally, and his mind didn’t seem to want to turn off. He turned his head to look through the window at the moon floating in the sky. He wondered what his father was doing that very minute. Was he plotting everyone’s downfall? Was he regretting his choice to tell his son everything? If he hadn’t done that, no one would know Ladybug’s true identity, and he himself would still have no idea his father had turned into a monster.

Monster. He’d always thought of Hawk Moth as that. But thinking of Hawk Moth as his father… he couldn’t see it anymore. His father had done evil, he had no issues admitting that. But his motives were those of grief and, strangely, hope. He just wished his father had chosen a different way to resurrect his mother.

Knowing who Ladybug was… that was something to be thankful for at least, even if it had happened in the worst possible way. It could have been worse- his father could still have the earrings, and Marinette and Adrien could both still be in his power right now.

Marinette… as always a warm feeling came over him thinking about her. He'd felt that ever since they became friends, and he knew he'd done it himself. Had he… fallen in love with her without even knowing it? His admiration for Ladybug was so all-encompassing, he'd been thoroughly dazzled. But he'd told Marinette the truth earlier- he'd only known Ladybug as a partner, and their fights with akumas were usually on the short side because she was so clever, and figured out what to do. It was something to think about.

He finally relaxed enough that his eyes started dropping shut and he fell asleep with Marinette, not Ladybug on his mind.

\----

Gabriel Agreste stood in front of his wife's capsule and bowed his head. "I'm so sorry Emilie, I failed you once again. I can only be glad that you were asleep for all of that, because…" he swallowed, "because Adrien has chosen to side with the ones keeping me from fulfilling my promise to you. I can't understand why… surely he misses you as much as I do. But the fact remains that I need a new plan. At least I know for certain who my opponents are, now. Marinette Dupain-Cheng kept her secret very well, and I admit to being surprised. She's a talented designer, but I never put her creative mind together with the lucky charm power that has proved so devastating. I can't plan for the unexpected.

But I think I know what to do, now. Obviously, I have to separate her and Chat Noir as soon as possible. They are strongest together, so if I can separate them, they will be vulnerable. I also plan to attack any other miraculous bearers with my akuma. They must have so many enemies to fight that I can pin them down individually and finally take their miraculouses. It should be simple enough- I've akumatized most of them before, and they appear to be mostly young people, in whom emotions run high."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I only hope Adrien will come to his senses when you are back with us… I can't bear to think of having you back but losing our son in the process. I don't know when this battle will occur, but I'm sure it must be soon- our enemies won't want to give me very much time to plan. Little do they know I've been planning this since the beginning. Till then, my love."

He bowed to the capsule, then walked over the shaky, temporary bridge over the giant hole in the ground in front of the garden.

Natalie was waiting for him by the elevator.

"Has Lila reported back yet?" He asked as they entered the elevator.

"Yes. Alya left her apartment earlier this evening, but Lila couldn't track her beyond a few blocks away from her home. She went back to keep a watch on the house, and said Alya came back around 11 pm, carrying a package."

"Hm. Somehow I feel sure the girl was visiting Ladybug, and it's concerning she managed to lose Lila on the way there. It makes it even more imperative that I assign her a permanent akuma."

"Is that wise?"

He waved her concern away. "I can always cancel her powers from here if she gets out of hand, but giving her the akuma will be almost as good as giving her a miraculous. Better, since while she has it she will be loyal to me, and I will be in ultimate control."

"Yes sir. I’m only concerned-”

“Because Lila is manipulative and a compulsive liar, I know. She also has a very useful grudge against Ladybug, which I fully intend to exploit.”

“Yes sir. Anything else for now?”

“How is the bodyguard doing?”

“He is… not himself.”

“Hm. I was worried about that. I wasn’t sure what akumatizing him without changing his overall appearance might do. Though it may have been the fall.”

“Sir, what will you do if Adrien is among the fighters?”

Gabriel sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “I… don’t know. Try to neutralize him, perhaps.” He paused. “I suppose I will do what I have to.”

Nathalie looked down. “I understand sir. Perhaps it may be as well to alert Lila to the possibility and let her neutralize him?”

Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I want her having too much influence over him. Not that he could hate her any more, from what I observed last night. The boy has too much of a crush on Ladybug for him to forgive her easily.”

“But you did say she had her uses. Using her may make it easier for the both of you.”

“A fair point, and I understand you. Yes,” he said, making the decision. “When the battle arrives, I will tell Lila she is responsible for my son’s welfare. That will keep her away from Ladybug- we don’t want any unfortunate incidents, and I don’t believe that girl knows the meaning of “too far” when it comes to Ladybug.”

“I believe you are right, sir.”

“That will be all for now, Nathalie. I’m going to rest for a while- let me know if anything interesting happens.”

“Of course, sir.”

\----

Marinette woke up with a start, temporarily confused as she looked around the unfamiliar room. Then she remembered everything about the day before and jumped out of bed.

“Tikki! Is Master Fu awake yet?” she said, scrambling into her jacket and skirt. Tikki had been jolted awake as Marinette’s rapid activity tumbled her off her perch on the pillow.

“What? Master Fu? What’s wrong Marinette?” Tikki flew over to the window, which showed the light from a streetlamp outside. “It’s too early.”

Marinette stopped in the act of tying the skirt around her waist. “Is it?” She walked over to the window. “Oh. I guess you’re right. I’m sorry, Tikki.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Go back to sleep. Wait!”

Tikki obediently hovered in mid-air, halfway back to the warm pillow. 

“Do you know where Master Fu keeps some pens and paper? I need to make some notes before I forget this.”

“Forget what?”

“It came to me in a dream. I know what our attack plan should be!”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Well, don’t get too excited now…”

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Tikki said, yawning. “It was a really long day for both of us, and,” she yawned again, “I’m still sleepy.” She floated over to one of the drawers in the cabinet that the gramophone sat on. “It’s this one.”

“Thanks Tikki. Go back to sleep. I won’t be long.” Marinette got out the pen and paper and started scribbling as fast as she could by the light of the street lamp outside the window, before any of the details escaped her memory.

That done, she tucked the paper into her jacket pocket and went back to bed herself. She had no idea what time it was, but it was early enough the streetlamps were still on outside. As she crawled back into bed, she wished it were a normal day, she was back at home, sleeping in her own bed (probably dreaming about Adrien), and just going to go to school that day like normal. Maybe save an akumatized person as Ladybug, secret identity intact. 

But then I wouldn’t know Chat Noir is Adrien, she thought, sleepily. And that would be a shame. She smiled and drifted back into sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Practice makes perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of, right now the final battle reads as a decided anti-climax, so I'm putting all my attention into raising the stakes there. My ability to write fight scenes is still abysmal, but I'll do my best.

Marinette woke up to an insistent tugging at her ear. “Marinette!” 

“Guh… what?”

“You have to wake up. Master Fu is expecting a client in five minutes!” Tikki said.

“Uh… ok.” Marinette rolled off the bed, bleary-eyed, but moving. Luckily she was wearing the only things she had with her, and had only used the blanket and pillow, which were quickly stowed away.

She saw a pen lying on the gramophone cabinet, and wondered briefly what that was about, but then headed on back to the kitchenette.

Adrien was sitting at the small table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He was looking heavy-eyed too. Plagg was going to town on a plate of smelly cheese. For once Marinette didn’t have her trade-mark nervous reaction around Adrien. Maybe it was because she was still half-asleep.

“Coffee?” she asked.

Adrien pointed to the coffee press on the counter.

“Thanks,” she said, and poured herself a cup, adding some sugar. Then she sat down on the other chair with the coffee in front of her and propped her head on her hand. Every few minutes, she took a sip of coffee. For a while they just sat there, listening to Master Fu interacting with his client just down the hall.

Once she’d finished her coffee, Marinette was feeling much more alert. “So…” she said, “do you want to hang out here all day, or do you think we should put our disguises to the test? It’s going to be risky if we go out anywhere, but here there’s no place for us to go that’s out of the way.”

Adrien blinked at her. “Um… yeah. Well, there’s Master Fu’s bedroom, but I don’t think he’d want us in there all day.”

“Yeah…” Marinette stretched and heard crinkling in the pocket of her cardigan. “What...?” she muttered to herself, and searched the pocket. There was a folded piece of paper in there. She unfolded it and read what it said. "Huh. That's weird. It's in my handwriting but it doesn't make any sense."

"Can I see it?"

Marinette handed it over, Adrien's hand brushing hers. For the first time that day a tingle went down her spine, making her shiver. Adrien didn't seem to notice.

He read the note out loud. "'Hero's Day… make him think he's winning… misdirection and ambush.' What in the world?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Marinette shrugged. Tikki looked up from the grape she was eating with ridiculously tiny bites. "Don't you remember, Marinette? You woke up last night and just had to write that stuff down. I think you said something about a plan of attack."

Marinette frowned at the paper. "It probably made sense then, but now…?"

It was Adrien's turn to shrug. "Maybe it'll come back to you. I know I'd be interested in a plan of attack, if you've got one. You're pretty smart, Marinette, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Now that she was awake, his smile was devastating to her central nervous system. 

Then he cleared his throat and looked self-conscious. "So, uh… Master Fu said we should continue where we left off yesterday."

Marinette's heart sank. She did NOT want to bare her soul any further. Hadn't she embarrassed herself enough already? She helped herself to some bread and cheese and a few grapes to distract herself.

"But," Adrien continued when she didn't say anything, "maybe I should start?"

He sounded hesitant. Marinette glanced up at him. He looked a lot more uncomfortable than he had yesterday afternoon… or maybe it was just her imagination.

“Go ahead,” she said, unenthusiastically. It would probably be something trivial again, like confessing that he regularly snuck out to run roofs even when there wasn't an akuma, or that while his father insisted on him eating vegetables with every meal, he usually only ate them at one meal a day.

“So… you know I’ve been, or thought I was, in love with Ladybug for a long time. Pretty much since the first time we fought Stoneheart.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well… um, sometimes I have dreams about her. Like… vivid dreams.”

Marinette looked up despite herself. He was bright red and rubbing the back of his neck. “How vivid?” she heard herself asking.

“Um… pretty detailed? You know, kissing, and… stuff.”

“Oh!” Now Marinette was blushing. And she had the oddest desire to smile. He’d actually told her something nearly as embarrassing as all the things she’d said yesterday! 

“Well… that’s normal, right? I mean, I daydream about you all the time,” she said, looking back down and flushing more.

“You do?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “But… why?”

That made her look up again. “Seriously?”

“Yeah…. I mean, I’m not really special. Sure, I can do a lot of things, and I’m a model, but the model thing is really because of my father- well my mother, too, but mostly my father. But the other stuff, it’s just… I learned what my father wanted me to learn. He wanted me to study all these things like Chinese and Fencing and… it’s fun and I like it, but it’s not like those things are my passion. You…” he gestured toward her. “You’re genuinely amazing. You have this talent, this way of seeing the world that’s incredible. You can see pigeons in the park and turn that into a design for a hat, and then make that hat yourself, and it’s good enough to impress my father- a man who is notoriously picky! I mean, Jagged Stone himself asked you to design the cover for his album! Do you know how cool that is?”

“You… really think that about me?” Marinette asked, toying with the grape stems on her plate.

“Yeah, of course!”

“I guess everyone sees things differently,” Marinette mused. “I mean, I do know how cool it is to design for Jagged Stone, believe me! But it’s also a lot of extra work, on top of school, and, you know… Ladybug stuff. But you, you’re just… so perfect,” she managed to get out. “I mean, you’re Adrien Agreste, son of famous designer Gabriel Agreste and a famous fashion model yourself. You could have been stuck up and arrogant! You could have been like Chloe! But instead you’re so nice and kind, and smart, and talented, and really...” she stopped. “I know it sounds like a back-handed compliment, saying that you're not like Chloe, but it's so much more than that.

You care about others. Either as yourself, or as Chat Noir, you want to help if you can. And that's the real reason you work so hard at all these things you feel forced to do. I think… you either see them as useful tools, like Chinese or fencing, or as a way to help your father, like piano or modeling." She sighed. "Even though he's been absolutely awful, and even actively malevolent toward you, you haven't let that make you bitter, or cynical, or… or cruel. And I think that's the most wonderful thing about you."

\----

Adrien didn’t know why he was so blown away by what she said. It wasn’t earth shattering, or anything, and she’d only spoken the truth. It was something he knew himself- he could have been like Chloe, but he knew all his accomplishments were due to either hard work or luck, and he’d been too isolated for too long to want to alienate people. Even when his fans got crazy and chased him down the street, he still didn’t want to turn on them with anger or disdain. He just wanted to get away.

But hearing the same things from Marinette, knowing that she felt that way about him… he’d learned yesterday that she was in love with him, but even already knowing that… it filled him with such joy. 

Suddenly, the last thing he wanted to do was concentrate on Hawk Moth, or what they had to do to defeat him. He just wanted to spend a day with Marinette, really get to know her, without the pressure of an upcoming fight.

“Listen,” he said, leaning forward. “Why don’t we sneak out? We can go somewhere and just… talk.”

Marinette looked uncertainly at him and then at the kwamis, who were pretending not to notice what their humans were doing. Well, Tikki was pretending, Plagg probably wasn’t as interested in the humans as he was in discovering the last crumb of cheese.

“I’m not sure…” Marinette said.

“Please, Marinette. We can go somewhere that’s dark, somewhere we won’t have to worry so much about our disguises. Like… a movie or something.”

“But nothing’s playing right now, it’s too early.” 

He could tell she wanted to say yes, though.

“A park then. Somewhere with a maze, or… lots of trees? We could climb a tree and just hang out.”

That made her giggle. His heart leapt. 

“Climb a tree?” she teased. “Are you sure you’re not Chat Noir in disguise?”

“I’ll never tell, milady.” 

She giggled again. He smiled.

“Well… ok.”

He got up and held out his hand to her. She took it and then gasped a little. He probably wouldn't have noticed if his attention hadn't been wholly on her.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing. It’s just…” she was blushing again as she stood.

“What?”

“When you touch me, it’s... like a shock,” she said shyly.

“Really?” Curious, he pulled her close. “What about when I do this?” He wrapped an arm around her waist and brushed her cheek with the knuckles of his other hand. That time he felt it, too, like an electric shock zipping from his hand straight to his heart. He inhaled at the intensity of it.

“Uh…” She stared at him, clearly dazed.

“What would happen if I kissed you?” he asked softly. 

And then he did. He kissed her, Marinette, the way he’d always dreamed of kissing Ladybug, only he was kissing Ladybug, only she was Marinette, and… 

Her lips were trembling beneath his, and he found it just excited him more. He pulled her closer, cradling her head in one hand while his lips explored hers, gently at first, then more insistent. She slipped her arms up to his neck and started kissing him back. A wild burst of joy sang through his whole body, and he held her tighter. He never wanted to let go, never wanted the moment to end.

But of course, it did.

“Ahem…” Dimly he heard the sound of Master Fu clearing his throat. It was Marinette who broke the kiss, pulling away from his mouth and biting her lips before his bewildered mind processed the fact that they weren’t alone anymore. For a moment she rested her forehead against his before pulling further away. He opened his eyes to see her looking at him with such an expression he didn’t care that they’d been discovered. He went for another kiss, but she slid her arms down to his chest and pushed him gently away. He blinked at her. She glanced significantly over his shoulder. Aaaand then his brain caught up.

“U-uh…” he stammered. “S-sorry, sir.” He let go of Marinette and turned to look at Master Fu standing in the doorway of the kitchen. There wasn’t anywhere else for him to stand, he and Marinette were taking up most of the space. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“While I’m happy to see you two getting along so well, perhaps my kitchen isn’t the best place? And, considering the battle before us, perhaps not the best time, either?”

“I don’t know about that, sir,” Adrien said. “From where I’m standing, it’s the best possible time and place.” He sent a glowing look at Marinette who returned it in kind. She was amazing.

“Tikki, Plagg, why aren’t you doing anything about this?” Master Fu next accused the kwamis. Tikki giggled and Plagg just said, “Oh come on, what are we supposed to do? They’re young, they’re in love… it happens! And about time, if you ask me. Adrien was getting downright nauseating pining over Ladybug.”

Adrien felt himself flush all over. Master Fu pursed his lips enigmatically. Then he waved his cane at them.

“Come, all of you! Back to work- we have much to go over.” He turned and walked back down the hall, holding his cane behind his back and moving very quickly for a man almost two centuries old.

Adrien stole a look over at Marinette. He was encouraged to see her smiling. He sighed. "It's not what I want to do," he said significantly, "but we better follow him."

She sighed happily. "Yeah…"

\----

The short passage didn't give either of them much time to get their brains off each other and back to the problem of Hawk Moth, but it helped, Master Fu could tell.

Tikki and Plagg came along in their wake, Tikki carrying a folded sheet of paper. She floated it over to him, and he took it with a word of thanks.

He opened it and read the few words. Then he smiled. "Well, this is quite insightful of you, Marinette."

That got their attention back to him. They'd been stealing glances at each other, and while Master Fu was extremely satisfied with how that aspect of their relationship was progressing, he needed them to concentrate.

"What do you mean, Master?" Marinette asked. "I know I wrote it, but… I don't understand what it means."

"You were probably half-asleep when you wrote it down, but there's enough here to give us a clue. Being Ladybug has exercised your creative mind enough that you look for solutions to puzzles even when you sleep."

"But what does it mean, Sifu," Adrien asked.

"It means we're going to use his own strategy against him." Master Fu smiled. "But before we can do that, you two need to learn this." He laid a diagram in front of them. It showed two people doing a series of movements together, then apparently merging together as the last picture. 

Marinette picked it up. "This is what we have to do?"

Master Fu nodded. Adrien leaned over to study the pictures more closely. "It looks a little bit like dancing?"

Master Fu nodded again, "It is very similar. You must practice these until you can do them flawlessly, in the dark, and over a battle field if necessary. You must be perfectly in sync with each other, otherwise it will not work. The spellbook had some notes- it helps to have a verbal map, something you can say that will help you stay together if you become separated or suddenly can't see each other."

"Like a song?"

"A song, a rhyme, a quotation, it doesn't really matter. But since you will need to keep your minds on the single purpose you are joining together for, it should be something that reminds you of this purpose."

Adrien looked sad. "And that's… saving my father, right?"

Master Fu nodded. "Saving your father from himself also saves all of Paris."

"Right," Adrien said and took the sheet of paper from Marinette. "What about that strategy Marinette dreamed up?"

"Work on this now," Master Fu said, "until lunchtime at least. We will speak of the other later."

They both got up off the mat and Master Fu coached them through each of the movements, being careful to correct posture and placement. Adrien's experience with fencing gave him natural fluidity and an awareness of his own body that Marinette lacked. To be fair, Master Fu knew she always became more self-conscious when she had to do something physical, and so made more efforts to get her to relax. But after the fifth time she bumped into Adrien on a specific turn, he suggested they use their miraculouses to continue practicing.

They transformed into Chat Noir and Ladybug, and the natural confidence boost Marinette got just by wearing the costume made practice much easier. By lunchtime they were almost flawless in their performance.

Master Fu thought about giving them a break, but he also thought that would make it harder to get concentration back after lunch, so instead he had them work on composing the verbal cues while they ate. 

Tikki and Plagg enjoyed their own meal, occasionally giving suggestions, or, in Plagg's case, criticizing what they came up with.

Eventually they achieved a set of rhymes they both agreed on, that flowed well with the movements. By that time Master Fu had a few more clients to see, so he sent them out into the alley to practice some more, saying he would take care of delivering the messages.

Marinette was gaining confidence as she got more familiar with the movements. Adrien was right, it was like a dance, each partner having their own moves to complete.

Once Tikki, who was supervising, saw they could do it flawlessly three times in a row, she brought out blindfolds. That… was a disaster. They couldn't stay in sync at all, and they kept tripping over things.

"You have to be aware of what's around you!" She kept repeating. "Try to picture the area and see where you are within it."

Finally, Adrien suggested taking the blindfolds off, and just holding hands. "Kind of like we did when we fought Frighteningale."

That worked a little better. While taking a break for some water, Marinette said, "I don't know how we're supposed to do this during a battle… but I think that's what we are going to end up doing."

Adrien nodded. He was concerned about that, too. "Maybe we can have Carapace put up a shield for us long enough to dance?"

They'd started to refer to the series of movements as just a dance because it was simpler and easier to say.

"Maybe. I don't think we should count on that, though. Maybe we better go back to the blindfolds. After all, the point is to learn to do it flawlessly whatever our surroundings, right?"

"Are you going to be ok with that?"

She sighed. "I have to be. I know I'm the one holding us back, but I have to learn this."

"Hey," Adrien said, putting his hand over hers. "You're doing great. I know you think you're this clumsy girl who can't move without creating a mess, but… honestly, at this point I think it's mostly a confidence issue. Trust yourself! I do." He smiled at her and she seemed to perk up a bit.

They put the blindfolds back on and started again. This time, while they were definitely not in sync, they did get through the whole routine.

Tikki decided to walk them through the movements at half speed while they wore the blindfolds, counting the beats for them while they spoke the cues. Finally, towards sunset, they did it. They did the whole dance flawlessly while blindfolded.

By that time they were both tired, so Adrien briefly transformed into Chat Noir to vault them both up to the roof. Then they sat together watching the sun set.

"I know we have a hard battle ahead of us, my lady," he said quietly after a while, "but sitting here with you, I'm the happiest I've been in a long time."

"I know what you mean," Marinette said. "I wish we didn't have the battle to prepare for… to be honest I'm a little worried about getting everyone's support. This is the best chance we'll have of getting rid of Hawk Moth for good, but I'm not sure everyone will be willing to overlook past differences, and see that."

"Chloe?"

Marinette sighed. "And maybe Kagami. She loves you, too, you know."

Adrien sighed too, and rested his head against hers. "I know. She told me once, only I was Chat Noir at the time. After that I wondered… but I never really wanted to love anyone but you."

After a moment he asked, "What about Luka? Will he be ok with this? With… us?"

Marinette smiled. "Luka is nice, but he's kind of like my Kagami. If you didn't exist, then maybe… but he's never pushed for anything more than friendship. I think he'll be happy for us, actually."

Adrien smiled. "I think you're right. And you may be misjudging Kagami. She can be intense, but that focus will probably work in our favor. The goal is to get rid of Hawk Moth after all."

Marinette smiled. "I hope you're right. I'm not sure we'll ever be good friends, but I don't want to hurt her either. The one that really worries me is Chloe. I'm not exactly neutral when it comes to her. We've had too many problems."

Adrien sat, thinking. "She's changed, you know. Not a lot, and I think she'll always be like her mother, she wants to be like her mother… but she also loved being Queen Bee, and I think that might be enough to get her to agree."

"Hm... Maybe. Anyway, let's enjoy this while we can," she said and leaned her head against his arm.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any spelling/grammar errors... lack of sleep makes me a little woozy.

Quite a few of Adrien and Marinette's classmates and friends had gotten strange texts from unknown numbers that day. Some of those texts had arrived after the sudden appearance of a small black octagonal box with a red chinese symbol on top. All of them deleted those texts immediately after reading them and the small black boxes mysteriously disappeared as quickly as they were discovered. 

That evening, all of them donned strange jewelry and took to the roofs of Paris, making their way toward a single destination. That destination was not the shop of a nondescript chinese man… it was an empty warehouse on the Seine.

They arrived at different times, but all of them were greeted either by Ladybug or Chat Noir. When they were taken inside, they were one and all surprised to find other superheroes waiting in various states of patience.

The last to arrive was Queen Bee, and it was Chat Noir who greeted her. "I knew you two would need me again one day," she said smugly. "I'm honestly surprised I didn't get this miraculous back yesterday."

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. "We were a little busy yesterday," was all he said.

When Chloe saw everyone else there, she said, "Wait, you invited everyone? Ugh, I can't believe this!"

"We saved the best for last," Chat Noir said hastily. "Besides, you don't want to be left out of the loop do you?"

"Ugh, fine," she growled, and stalked over to a corner.

Ladybug was chatting with Rena Rouge and Carapace when she got the signal from Chat Noir.

She and Chat Noir joined each other in the center of the room and Ladybug called for attention.

"Thank you for coming, everyone," she said. "I'm sure you are all aware that we intend to defeat Hawk Moth once and for all. We can't do that alone- we need all of you. We have a plan, but it absolutely requires the cooperation and approval of all of you." She paused to let that sink in. 

"The miraculous were never meant to be used for evil- we won't be killing anyone. Instead, we will save Hawk Moth, just like we've saved every person he has akumatized. We know who he is, we know what he wants, and his mind has clearly been twisted by grief. We intend to change that- heal his grief, and recover his miraculous so it cannot be misused anymore."

"So who is he?" King Monkey asked from somewhere toward the back of the group.

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir, who nodded and stepped forward. "Hawk Moth is none other than Gabriel Agreste…and my father," he said, and detransformed back into Adrien in front of them all.

A collective gasp rose from nearly every throat. Ladybug exchanged a look with Adrien. They'd debated this move back and forth for hours that afternoon. Marinette had been against it as a matter of principle. There was no reason to reveal his identity. He, on the other hand, wanted everyone to know because they needed to know the stakes for him, and because he thought a sympathy play would help some of them decide in their favor.

Master Fu had finally put an end to the argument when he said that Adrien had to make the decision himself. It was his secret identity and his father who was Hawk Moth, and he had the right to decide.

Questions started coming from every direction. Adrien transformed back into Chat Noir and held up his hand for silence. They quieted down.

"I know you all have questions. Here is what we know. My mother supposedly disappeared around a year ago. What no one knew, myself included, was that she had actually died. My father had her body frozen so he could find a way to bring her back. I don't know when he first found the miraculous of the Butterfly, but… he learned from his new kwami that if he could gain control of the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring, he could combine their power and change reality to suit him. That's why all the akumatized people demanded our miraculouses from us at one point or another- Hawk Moth was using them to try and steal them from us." He sighed. "What he doesn't know is that if he does gain control of them, and uses them to resurrect my mother, someone else will die in her place, most likely either my father… or me."

Another gasp, along with cries of "no" rippled through the assembled young superheroes.

"Obviously, we can't let him succeed," Ladybug stepped back in. "But we also can't leave him as he is, he is too dangerous in this state. And we really need to recover both the miraculous of the butterfly and that of the peacock from him." She took a breath. 

"Some of you may recall an akumatized villain called Oblivio. Oblivio was actually two people merged into one entity by Hawk Moth's power, and by the shared goal of erasing all memory of an embarrassment.” Her eyes flicked briefly toward Rena Rouge and Carapace, but they didn’t so much as blink. Satisfied, she continued. 

“Well, we can do the same thing. Chat Noir and I are the current holders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses, and we share the single goal of not just defeating Hawk Moth, but of making sure he won't be a danger anymore. We can take a leaf out of Hawk Moth's book and combine our powers by merging into one entity. Hawk Moth's miraculous is the only one that can grant powers to others on it's own, but we have learned that if you all agree, you can help us combine our powers and make this happen." 

She took another breath, trying to meet every masked eye. "If even one of you refuses your consent, we won't be able to merge at all. I have to tell you- this will be the most dangerous thing Chat Noir and I have ever done, but it is our best chance, not just to defeat Hawk Moth, but to save him from himself."

"You can come and ask us questions, and discuss it with each other, but we need an answer from each of you before you leave," Chat Noir said. "We'd like to get everyone's consent tonight- there’s a kind of ritual that needs to be done- and then go over a battle plan Ladybug and I have concocted."

Ladybug and Chat Noir moved closer together as the group of assembled heroes started talking all at once. Not surprisingly, it was Chloe who first approached them.

"I'm not sure I want to be part of anything that brings you two closer together," she said belligerently. "You could do so much better than Marinette Dupain-Cheng, even if she is Ladybug! Don't think I haven't noticed it!"

Ladybug sighed and put a hand up to her head. Defeated before it ever had a chance to be, she thought.

But apparently Chat Noir had other ideas. "Chloe, how long have you known me? How long have we been friends? I used to think you cared about me, at least a little."

That stopped Chloe in her tracks, and she blinked at him. "But… I do care…!"

"Do you?" He folded his arms across his chest, and said, "Because it seems like you want me to lose not just my mother, but my father, too. We have a chance to save him, right here, right now, and you won't help because you don't like Marinette? That's cold, Chloe, even for your mother's daughter."

Ladybug was watching the expression on Chloe's face change when she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see Kagami in her own costume. Kagami pulled her away until they were standing relatively alone.

"Why did you choose me?" She asked harshly.

"What do you mean?" Ladybug replied, unsure what Kagami was getting at. 

"Why did you give me a miraculous in the first place? If you hadn't, your plan now wouldn't be in danger… because of me." She sounded bitter.

Ladybug's expression softened. "If I hadn't picked you, we might not be making this plan, because Hawk Moth may well have won that particular battle without you, and everything would be over. I picked you because you were the best person for the job." She sighed. "I admire you, Kagami. I do. Your focus and competence are remarkable… and I know you love Adrien as much as I do."

Kagami stayed silent for a long moment, but when Ladybug had decided she wasn't going to say more and started to move away, she grabbed her arm. "What would you do, if our positions were reversed? If I was the one standing beside Adrien asking you to help... us?"

Ladybug smiled. "That's easy- I would help! I will always help Adrien, no matter what happens between us. It... would be hard for me, though. Once, I helped him go on a date with you, and I thought that was the hardest thing I'd ever done."

Kagami widened her eyes. "Maybe… but you also tagged along and ruined it!"

Ladybug sighed. "I didn't mean to ruin it, Kagami, and I only tagged along because Adrien was too shy to go alone with you. I brought Luka, didn't I? I really was only trying to be a friend."

Kagami looked away, but couldn't quite hide her tears. "Why did you bring Luka that day? I thought… he looked like he was interested in you."

“I thought he might be interested in me, too, and at the time I also thought... maybe I was just meant to be a good friend to Adrien and nothing more. I had the hardest time just talking to him, you know, unless I was focused on being his friend. So I thought, why not give someone else a chance?”

“So what changed your mind?”

“Luka did.” Ladybug smiled again. “He saw that I was more interested in Adrien than in him and he encouraged me to go talk to Adrien instead.” She sighed. “Kagami, I wish being in love with Adrien didn’t hurt anyone else, but it has, and I’m sorry for that. Neither of us wanted that.”

Kagami looked away again. “Adrien is the only boy I’ve ever… My mother taught me to have high standards, and I’ve always strived to live up to them myself. But who can compete with Ladybug?” She produced a small smile. “At least I had a worthy opponent. Much better than Queen Bee over there, anyway. Of course I’ll help. I would do anything for Adrien.”

Ladybug smiled back and held out her hand. “Thank you, Kagami. Really.”

Kagami shook her hand briefly and suddenly shivered all over. “So what’s this battle plan of yours? I’m sure I could poke a few holes in it.”

“I look forward to that. But that’s something that everyone needs to hear at once.”

Kagami nodded. “I see someone else who wants to talk to you, so I’ll let them.” She backed away as she spoke, and Ladybug turned to see Luka as Viperion standing a few feet back. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

“I’ll help, of course, no question about that. Adrien’s my friend just as much as you are, and it’s really awful that his dad turned out to be Hawk Moth. We’ve got to fix that. But I wanted to say… I’m happy for you.” His eyes shone behind his mask. “I’ve told you before that you inspire me, Marinette, but you know, friends can be just as inspirational as lovers, don’t you think?”

She blushed a little, and he suddenly looked self-conscious. “Sorry… I don’t have my guitar, and you know me and words.”

“It’s ok. I get it, believe me! And… thank you.” she held out her hands, he took them and squeezed them once, then moved away.

Ladybug looked around to see if anyone else seemed anxious to talk to her, but when no one approached, she went to back up Chat Noir, who was in the center of a small group.

Rena Rouge, Carapace, King Monkey, and Pegasus were taking turns assuring him that they would help and asking for more details. Ladybug looked around for Chloe, but didn’t see her anywhere. That worried her. Chat Noir caught her eye and excused himself.

“Everything ok, milady?” he asked softly. “I saw Kagami pull you away.”

“It’s fine. She’s hurt, but she’ll help.”

“I thought she would. I’ll talk to her myself in a little bit.”

“Where’s Chloe, though?”

“Don’t worry, I eventually got her to agree. I had to make her see that it was the heroic thing to do, sacrificing her own feelings for the good of all, though.” He sighed. “I’m glad I know who you are, milady, but I wish Hawk Moth hadn’t seen fit to tell the whole world. It would have made this much easier.”

“Well, there’s no point in going back over that. We should probably perform the ritual before going over the battle plan,” she said. “I don’t think we should stay here too much longer. I’m getting nervous about so many of us in one place at the same time.”

“Yeah. Everyone’s agreed, so… best get to it.”

They called everyone’s attention back to them. Those who had gone off into corners or split into little groups, gathered back together.

“This ritual is going to be tricky,” Ladybug said, “because for the first part of it, you have to detransform. In order to preserve everyone else’s secret identity,” she said, stressing the ‘else’ slightly, “we have to position you so no one will have a direct view of anyone’s face should you happen to look.”

She and Chat Noir went around positioning people in a compass rose pattern around the center of a circle in which she and he would stand together.

Once everyone was correctly positioned, Ladybug ordered everyone to shut their eyes and detransform. It was a moot point for herself and Chat Noir, so they didn’t bother. Once the brightness of flashes was over with, she started in on the questions.

“Kaalki, kwami of the horse miraculous, do you understand the significance of the merging of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses?”

“Yes.”

“Do you understand what that merger means to accomplish?”

“Yes.”

“Do you agree with that goal?”

“Yes.”

“Do you freely consent to the merger of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses for the purpose of defeated and cleansing Hawk Moth?”

“I do.”

Ladybug moved on to the next. She was asking the kwamis first because of the sensitive nature of the mass detransformation. This warehouse had windows and doors after all. She quickly questioned each kwami and then gave the order to transform again. Beside her she heard Chat Noir let out a relieved breath once everyone was back in uniform.

Now it was time for the human partners to give their consent. The set of questions was the same, but this time, having already gained the consent of the respective kwamis, Ladybug and Chat Noir felt a kind of building pressure which only got worse as more and more of the young superheroes gave their consent. There had been a separate part of the ritual, where Tikki and Plagg were first questioned and then gave their own consent to the merger, but they had done that under Master Fu’s eye earlier. No one wanted to drag this out longer than absolutely necessary, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief once it was over.

“Thank you, everyone,” Ladybug sang out. “I know it’s getting late, but we really need to go over the basics of the battle plan before you leave. We’ve learned a lot fighting Hawk Moth’s akumatized people, but we also learned a lot fighting him directly on Hero’s Day. He doesn’t like to fight himself, he gets others to do it for him. But, when he does fight directly, he’s tough. He likes to toy with people, including us. Remember how he didn’t use Dark Cupid against us until after we’d deakumatized a bunch of his followers? He was letting us think we were winning, just to get an emotional boost on Chat Noir and me when things started falling apart. So. We’re going to do the same thing to him. Here’s what we’re going to do…”

\----

Lila hovered over the warehouse, furious she couldn’t find a way in. She’d tried every door and window, but nothing opened for her. Even trying to listen at the doors or windows wasn’t working because the space inside was so big she couldn’t distinguish individual sounds from the reverberating mush that reached the edges.

She’d followed Rena Rouge here earlier, and she’d been a first arrival, so Lila now had a good idea of who all of Chat Noir and Ladybug’s allies were. That was going to make their own battle plan much easier, knowing who to expect. She snarled silently. Ladybug thought she was going to save the day again, did she? Well, she would learn differently.

Lila had been watching the news and social media all day long, hoping to see someone, anyone, deriding Ladybug for being just a high school student. But instead, no one had anything but admiration for the goody-two-shoes. It grated on her nerves something fierce. Surely, surely someone out there felt the same way about her as she did. But if they did, they weren’t saying it out loud. Perhaps, like Lila, they knew they had to keep quiet if they didn’t want to lose support or the esteem of others. 

But Lila herself had been quietly censorious online. Publicly praising Ladybug, but putting in some subtle criticism as well. Poor Ladybug, she had nothing but compassion for her failure to defeat Hawk Moth, and so on and so forth.

Now, all she had to do was follow Rena Rouge home, and then she would know the secret identities of two of the miraculous superheroes.

A bright flash of light alerted her to an interesting event, and she quickly moved to another window. When she saw what was going on, she pirouetted in mid-air. She quickly began identifying people, writing down descriptions when she didn’t immediately recognize them. Hawk Moth was going to be so very, very pleased with her...

\----

“That went surprisingly well,” Marinette said, when they made it safely back to Master Fu’s shop. 

“I think so, too. It was a good idea to ask for their formal permission tonight instead of trying to wait for the battle. It would have been impossible to do that ritual while fighting. It’s going to be hard enough just to do ours.’

“I know,” Marinette said. “And I’m a little worried about that. In a lot of ways it would be easier to merge before we ever meet Hawk Moth face to face, but… what if we missed him entirely?”

“I know,” Adrien pulled her close for a hug. “It’s going to be fine. We just have to trust each other.”

\----

Lila kept a respectful distance from Rena’s leaping form, even though there was really no need now. It was something to do, to keep her skills in, and Rena’s apartment building was on the way to the Agreste Mansion, which she hoped to visit one last time before the morrow. Thankfully, Rena had no idea she was being followed and didn’t use her illusion power. Lila knew all too well how she could have used that to lead Lila in completely the wrong direction.

“You’ve done very well, tonight” Hawk Moth said in her mind, his satisfaction patent. “We can use this to our advantage. I don’t think you need to keep an eye on this one anymore tonight. Come back. Or go home, whichever you prefer.”

Lila would have preferred to go back to the Agreste Mansion, but she knew she ought to go home. Her mother might have been working late at the Embassy every night since she could remember, but she also knew she would be checking in on her whenever she got home. Thankfully, she had stayed so late at the Embassy the night of the fight at the Eiffel Tower that Lila had already been at school when her mother had finally gotten home.

Lila enjoyed her freedom, but she also resented it. If her mother cared more about her, she wouldn’t have been able to do some of the things she routinely got away with. Like lying about her school being closed for a month because of the danger of akumatizations, when in reality Lila just didn’t want to go back after her humiliation as Volpina. If her mother had had even half her mind on her daughter’s life at that point, she would never have gotten away with it. 

Lila sometimes felt like she was just a distraction in her mother’s life and career, just something else that had to be taken care of, but not really cared for. In that, as in so many other things, she was infuriated by Marinette and her coterie of friends. They all had parents that actually cared about them. Even Adrien’s father, though he was the evil Hawk Moth, actually cared about his son and did his best to make sure the boy had a good life. That he did so by restricting his son’s life to the point he had to sneak around just to have a life, made absolutely no difference.

So now, she reluctantly made her way home, and Hawk Moth removed her akuma when she got there. But the butterfly remained black and settled on her desk lamp without disappearing. She went to bed and slept, dreaming of Ladybug ground into the dust and Lila herself victorious, earning the admiration and esteem of Adrien and everyone else, and finally getting the full attention of her own mother.


	20. Chapter 20

The next day Marinette and Adrien were up early, making preparations for the coming battle. They practiced their merging moves until they felt they could do them whatever the circumstances. With the full permission of the other miraculous users behind them, they felt the power in the movements, and it took some concentration on their part not to complete the ritual fully before it was time.

Around mid-morning Master Fu came to get them. “I think it is time. If we wait much longer, Hawk Moth may do something to change the situation. Everyone should be in place by now. It’s time to transform and check on them using your bug and cat phones.”

Marinette and Adrien both nodded. 

“Claws out.”

“Spots on.”

Marinette felt a little sinking in the pit of her stomach as she did so. She still hadn’t gotten up the courage to talk to Master Fu about her future as Ladybug. Right now it was too important for them to have an experienced Ladybug to fight Hawk Moth, but after he was finally defeated? Would she be allowed to keep the miraculous, or would he ask for it back? It wasn’t so much the loss of being Ladybug as it would be the loss of Tikki. The little kwami had become a good friend, in some ways even closer than Alya, since she was with Marinette all the time. It would hurt to lose her as much as it would to stop being Ladybug. Maybe more, if she was honest.

But she put it out of her head for now. Defeating Hawk Moth was too important for her to put everything in jeopardy by concentrating on the wrong thing. She pulled out her yo-yo and activated the GPS feature. Everyone appeared to be clustered around the Agreste mansion, except for Rena Rouge. She tried calling her friend, both on her flute-phone and her regular phone. No answer.

“Chat Noir, can you try calling Alya?” she asked. “I’m not getting an answer.”

He looked at her and called without asking any questions. Ladybug hoped they wouldn’t have to postpone the mission to check on her. She was instrumental to their plan- they really wouldn’t be able to pull it off without her, which meant she would have to do some on-the-fly improvising. Not the biggest confidence booster, given the situation.

“All I get is a busy signal, milady,” Chat Noir said. Despite herself, Ladybug smiled at him. His habit of calling her that had gotten a lot more meaningful since they’d found each other out.   
“Hm,” she wondered, getting back to business. “I wonder what that means?”

“Do you want to go check on her?”

Ladybug checked the tracker on her phone, selecting Rena Rouge’s icon. It showed her moving in the right direction.

“No,” she finally decided. “I don’t know why she’s not picking up, but she’s heading the right way. Maybe she just got delayed somehow.”

“All right. Let’s do this!” Chat Noir pulled out his stick and extended it, then bowed elaborately. “Ladybugs first!”

Ladybug grinned and swung out onto the rooftops.

\----

The Agreste mansion was dark and empty, just as it had been the last three days. Hawk Moth was ensconced in his butterfly chamber, monitoring Lila, who was harrying Rena Rouge, a.k.a. Alya Cesaire. Rena was fending her off, but just barely, and Lila wasn’t giving her any opportunity to call for help. Hawk Moth knew that Rena would figure heavily into any plan of Marinette’s choosing, and he wanted her to start off on the wrong foot. It would give him a clear advantage.

Meanwhile, Mayura was monitoring all the Paris news channels again. Right now they were still reporting on the events of the past two days, but with less urgency. There was great curiosity about the continued silence from the Agreste mansion, but he wasn’t concerned about that. Paris, and indeed the world, would learn soon enough that he was still alive and well.

Adrien’s former bodyguard had had to be akumatized in order to get anything useful out of him. He was guarding Emilie’s garden at the moment. There was still a giant hole in the floor, and Gabriel wasn’t stupid enough to leave it as it was, but he hadn’t had a chance to block it up or repair it yet. But hopefully it wouldn’t be too much longer- not with Rena Rouge on a course that brought her straight to his own house. He smiled and contacted Lila directly.

“Let her go now- make her think you’ve lost her. We know she’s coming here, which means everyone else is, too. We’ll be waiting for them. And I want you here to protect my son in case he shows up with them.”

“Yes, Hawk Moth,” he heard in reply, then watched as Lila used her formidable lying skills to fool Rena. That girl really had a gift.

\----

“It’s going down, Nadja,” Ladybug murmured into her bug-phone. “The Agreste Mansion. Five minutes.” She closed her yo-yo and 

Ladybug and Chat Noir crouched on a roof surveying their target. For the moment they were alone, and the building appeared to be dark and empty, with the gates and doors both standing open. Marinette felt a moment of doubt. Was it too easy? Did they really know what they would be walking into?

She took a deep breath and focused. She shared a look with Chat Noir, who wasn’t grinning for once, and nodded. “Let’s do it,” she said. In the distance they heard the rotors of an approaching helicopter.

They leapt off the roof and walked openly and boldly across the road, through the gates, and into the building. Ladybug eyed the approaching helicopter and heard the squeal of tires in the distance. Whatever happened, it would be televised. In a way that comforted her, even though it was a risk, especially if they failed. 

The house was still. Doors stood ajar. Marinette had never seen the whole house, just the dining room, Adrien’s room and his father’s office. The house looked a little dirty, but otherwise unharmed.

Chat Noir took the lead, going into the office. “He’s got a secret entrance in here. It has to do with that painting somehow.” He pointed to the large portrait of his mother that also concealed a safe in the wall behind it.

Ladybug came closer and examined it, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She ran her hands over the canvas and felt four spots that had something hard behind them. She pushed with her fingers and they gave. Then a round hole opened up in the dais. Chat Noir gasped. “That’s it!” He jumped onto the revealed platform, and held out his arms. “Come on, we’ve got to stay together.” 

Without hesitation Ladybug joined him and they put their arms around each other- the lift was a tight fit for both of them. Chat Noir briefly rested his forehead against hers as they descended. “Remember what we’re here for,” she whispered. “Stay focused.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, or to herself. Either way, he just nodded. They were both too tense to enjoy the closeness.

They emerged into the butterfly chamber to face a sentimonster in the form of an elephantine monster with too many trunks, Mayura, Hawk Moth on the defensive, and someone Ladybug recognized as probably Lila, but Lila in a form that sent a shiver of fear down her back. She was using the Party Crasher akuma, and that was the most dangerous one they’d ever faced, because Party Crasher could anticipate body language and move to intercept before they were ready. 

Adrien’s friend and fan Wayem had originally been Party Crasher, and he’d very nearly succeeded in sending Hawk Moth the miraculouses he craved. He’d captured not just Ladybug and Chat Noir, but also Viperion, Pegasus, and Carapace before King Monkey had disrupted his powers and managed to free them all.

For a moment they all just stared at one another. Then Hawk Moth stepped forward. “Well, my children. I didn’t think you would be stupid enough to walk right into my den, but perhaps you have come to offer me your miraculouses?”

“That’s exactly why we’re here,” Ladybug said. “You know, you never actually asked us if you could use them. Why on earth would you think we’d refuse to help you bring your dead wife back to life? Where’s the harm in that?”

Hawk Moth stood dumbfounded for a moment, then frowned. “But you did refuse, two nights ago.”

“You had kidnapped your own son, kidnapped me, tied me up and ripped my miraculouses from my ears! I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.” She replied, tone hard and accusing.

Hawk Moth turned his suspicious gaze from her to Chat Noir. “And I see you’ve persuaded your partner to agree as well.”

“She didn’t have to do much persuading,” Chat Noir replied. He stepped away, and only then did Ladybug realize they’d been standing there holding each other the whole time. “Claws in,” he said, and detransformed.

“Adrien!” Lila gasped from behind them. He ignored her, focusing on his father.

“So I was right,” Hawk Moth said with a cold smile. “But somehow the penitent son returning to the fold rings false this time around.” 

“Do you know how confused I was, Father?” Adrien said, sounding exactly like a young man on the verge of tears. “I find out that my own father is the villain I’ve been fighting against for more than a year, and that I was only fighting to lose my own mother forever. On top of which, you hurt my partner and the girl I love! How could I possibly agree to help you? But… Ladybug’s right, too. There really isn’t a good reason not to help you. I miss mom just as much as you do. If you’d just asked us from the beginning…” he trailed off, not wanting to seem like he was selling it too hard.

Hawk Moth considered them both for a moment, then nodded to Mayura, who dismissed the sentimonster.

“Very well. Give me your miraculouses then.”

“Not here,” Ladybug said, stepping forward. “By your wife’s capsule, and then only long enough for you to resurrect her. We might be willing to help you- after all, she is Adrien’s mother, too- but I don’t trust you. And Lila stays here.”

Hawk Moth nodded slowly. “I see. But I think I will be more comfortable bringing Party Crasher with us. If you do not trust me, surely I am not required to trust you?”

Ladybug clenched her jaw, but nodded. There had never been much hope of leaving such a powerful akuma behind, but she’d had to try. They would just have to be careful, and King Monkey would have to use his power at the very beginning. She just hoped he had good aim, since Lila wasn’t going to stand still for him the way Wayem had.

He waved to the door and they all walked out of the chamber. Ladybug’s pulse quickened, and she felt like she would get a knife in the back at any moment, but surely Lila would keep herself under control until Hawk Moth had gotten what he wanted… right?

Hawk Moth went first, then Adrien, who quietly returned to his Chat Noir disguise, then Ladybug and then Mayura. Ladybug had to keep herself relaxed. She was a little suprised they made it safely to the elevator into the subterranean garden room.

The rides down to the walkway were the most tense moments of Marinette’s life so far. The plan could only work if Alya had made it safely into the sewers and thence to the open hole in the floor. If she wasn’t there…

But worrying about it wasn’t going to change anything at this point. If she wasn’t there… Chat Noir and she would just have to move the time-table forward. They’d practiced the merging dance often enough they could do it as quickly as needed, particularly if they were close together.

As they walked down the narrow metal path, she could tell Hawk Moth was still suspicious. Hopefully, they’d be able to fool him one more time before getting down to business.

Once they were all standing in front of the gaping hole in the ground, Marinette and Adrien looked at each other and nodded. Then she reached up to take out her earrings, and he slipped the ring from his finger. With relief Marinette watched the red and green flashes that told her Alya had come through for them. She looked down to see her normal outfit, the pink pants, white flowered shirt, and charcoal grey jacket she habitually wore, instead of the black and blue outfit she’d been wearing. Adrien was also back in his own clothes and not the borrowed ones. It was working.

She held the false earrings out in the palm of her hand. They were very good copies, not the cheap toy jewelry or the salt-dough replicas she’d once used to fool Hawk Moth. No, these were actual jewelry with a bit of illusion to hide their slight defects. Hawk Moth took their offerings and stood for a moment staring down at them. Adrien took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back.

Hawk Moth looked up at them and Ladybug almost gasped. He looked… heartbroken. And thankful. “Thank you,” he said, closing his hand over the fakes. “Now I can finally…” He turned to the capsule and addressed it. “Emilie… I have them. It won’t be long now. We can finally be a family again.”

In that moment Ladybug was thankful they’d come up with this plan. They had fooled Hawk Moth, but in doing so, she’d been reminded that he was also a grieving husband and parent. She saw him as a person, and not an enemy, and that was all to the good for their ultimate purpose. 

She whispered, “Get ready…”

All of a sudden, half a dozen superheroes jumped up out of the pit where they had been hiding. They caught Hawk Moth, Mayura, and Party Crasher completely off guard. Carapace aimed his jump to land just in front of them, but at the last moment, a huge hand reached out and grabbed him. Gorizilla had been hiding beneath the metal walkways. 

“Well, that’s not good,” Ladybug muttered, as Rena Rouge’s illusion melted away. She pulled off her yo-yo and got ready to fight. Chat Noir spun up his baton beside her, but they were almost immediately attacked by Party Crasher, who knew very well who were the biggest threats out of all of them. 

Lila was a good fighter. Judging her as Volpina was difficult since Ladybug was fairly certain most of what she’d fought had been her own illusions, but as Chameleon she’d been a real headache. As Party Crasher, she was very nearly devastating. Any move she or Cat Noir made, she was there, trying to intercept. 

“FALL BACK TO CONFUSION!” she shouted to Chat Noir, alarmed when she noticed he wasn’t right by her side anymore. He’d been forced halfway around the pit in the floor, now battling Mayura along with Viperion and Pegasus.

Ladybug started gyrating, spazzing, and generally trying to move without actually planning anything. Party Crasher backed off a bit, obviously trying to analyze her pattern of movement again, but Ladybug let all the clumsiness she was known for as Marinette come to the surface, tripping over herself and falling in unexpected directions.

A comprehensive glance around the battlefield showed her that Hawk Moth was being pressed by King Monkey and Queen Bee, Kagami and Rena Rouge (who must have taken a moment to feed Trixx since her necklace wasn’t flashing) were trying to free Carapace from the Gorilla, and Viperion, Pegasus, and Chat Noir were holding their own against Mayura.

Her Ladybug brain recognized this was not the optimal split of powers against powers. 

“King Monkey and Queen Bee!” she called through the earbugs they all wore. “Switch with me! See if you can negate or immobilize Party Crasher here. She’s the biggest threat of them all. Kagami-”

Mayura chose that moment to summon another sentimonster. This one took the form of a snake, with barbs along it’s back and too many fangs. The snake immediately wrapped itself around Chat Noir, forcing Viperion to use his Second Chance. She only knew that because one moment Chat Noir was caught in the coils and the next, he was sprawled to one side and Viperion took his place.

She forced her attention back to her own battle, nervous because her proposed switch with King Monkey and Queen Bee made it necessary for her to plan her movement. She jumped… and was knocked into the pit below, even as Queen Bee soared past her, striking Party Crasher with her Venom. Party Crasher froze, glittering discoball just milimeters away from King Monkey. 

Ladybug gathered herself and jumped back into the fight. 

“King Monkey, target Mayura!” she called as she headed for him herself. But Hawk Moth, having gotten a respite, had pulled out his trump card. A dozen or more akumatized people stepped out of the shadows of the garden, and both of them stopped, recognizing their own parents, sisters, brothers, in the shapes of the people guarding Hawk Moth. How had he done it? He wasn’t being boosted by Catalyst, so how had he managed to akumatize so many people at once? And how had he gotten hold of their families without their knowing, much less brought them here? It bothered her, but she didn’t have time to puzzle it out in the heat of battle.

“Focus, Monkey!” she yelled harshly, seeing him falter. She spared a glance for the others. Kagami and Rena had managed to free Carapace, so it was about time for her and Chat Noir to reconvene.

“Pegasus! Use your portal- send Chat Noir to Carapace!” She had to end this before the akumatized people had a chance to unleash whatever unholy powers Hawk Moth had granted them.

She bounced away, using her yo-yo to swing herself across the pit toward Carapace. She landed in front of him just as a portal opened next to her and Chat Noir stepped through.

Carapace raised his shield and yelled, “Shelter!” A giant forcefield sprang into existence around them.

Focusing her mind on their aim, she and Chat Noir locked eyes and started chanting.

“Mend the broken,  
Heal the grief,  
These words spoken,  
Bring forth leave  
To merge as one  
And then become,  
Phoenix!”

They flowed flawlessly through the motions, ending back to back, arms spread out, hands clasping. The power rose up around them, golden and shining, and Ladybug clung to the one thought that would give their combined power purpose: restoration.

Consciousness blended and faded, merging with Adrien’s. She could feel his thoughts, clear as crystal and just as sharp, but most of all there was an overwhelming sense of welcome and a burst of joy. Her own thoughts mirrored his, she felt his acceptance and then… they became one.

\----

Hawk Moth stood back behind his shield of akumatized friends and family and felt he had miscalculated. He’d thought facing their friends and family would rattle the band of heroes, just as Chloe Bourgeois had been rattled on Hero’s Day. But apparently that wasn’t the case. The heroes fought all the harder, and there was nothing he could do. Party Crasher had been neutralized, and Queen Bee was still fighting, though her haircomb was flashing insistently. King Monkey had hit him with a banana, making his control over his victims spotty at best. They were milling about, only occasionally acting against the superheroes, and soon he would lose control over them entirely.

He caught brief glimpses of Mayura holding her own against Pegasus. That left… he turned to look at Ladybug and Chat Noir, no longer clothed in illusion, just in time to see them posed back to back inside a forcefield provided by Carapace. Then a blinding golden light engulfed them and when it faded, instead of a pair of teenage heroes, there was a being of golden light in the shape of a giant bird. The forcefield had disappeared and Carapace seemed just as surprised as he was.

The fighting stopped as everyone turned their attention toward the shining bird.

“Hawk Moth,” the being said in a curious blend of voices that tickled Hawk Moth’s memory. It hovered on wings of mock-flame. “I am Phoenix. The ones you deem enemies have seen fit to save you from yourself. You can be whole again. You can be capable of love again. This is my task, and I take it up… NOW.”

Phoenix flapped it’s flaming wings and a sphere of golden light exploded soundlessly to engulf everything. Hawk Moth felt it blow through him, and as it passed an echo of the bubbling blackness that was the cataclysm power found and penetrated the great pain he’d carried for over a year went, leaving him… lighter. 

His desire for revenge, his hatred for Ladybug and Chat Noir shriveled away into nothing. He dropped the fake miraculouses, and fell to his knees, one hand on his wife’s capsule. It was just a machine now, no longer the miracle that would save his wife, bring her back to him. He felt his thoughts change, even as he thought them. Where once he’d regarded the capsule as a gift, now it seemed more a curse, prolonging pain that should have been faced and dealt with long ago.

He felt… whole again. Healed. He glanced to the side, seeing Mayura on her knees, hands clasped to her bosom where the peacock miraculous nestled. She was weeping, and a golden glow was fading from the vicinity of her magic pin. He knew instinctively that whatever had been wrong with the jewel wasn’t anymore.

But Phoenix wasn’t finished. It spread it’s wings again, and another golden sphere shimmered into being around them. The bird spun slowly, spiraling up toward the ceiling and bringing them all with it. Hawk Moth looked down to see the rocks from the pit shining with golden light and lifting themselves up to repair- no restore- the hole in the ground. For a moment it also looked like Emilies capsule was glowing, but...

He blinked and suddenly, they were in the air above his house. He looked down at a crowd of onlookers, saw a helicopter almost on a level with them. The sphere descended in the courtyard and vanished, leaving them on the cold hard ground of his own courtyard. Then Phoenix rose into the sky once more and, with a shrill eagle scream, flapped it’s flaming wings again. This time a much larger, more powerful sphere of golden light shot from it’s body like a shock wave, and Hawk Moth knew it would spread through the city, repairing damage, healing disease, restoring people to their true selves.

Then Phoenix sank back to earth, coming to rest. It folded its wings and as it did so, it faded and shrank until two teenage superheroes fell apart from its center and it vanished. Ladybug and Chat Noir fell to their hands and knees, shaking with exhaustion and reaction. Almost immediately, they turned and fell into each other’s arms.

The other superheroes surrounded them, leaving Hawk Moth and Mayura to their own devices. Mayura yanked the peacock pin from her breast, detransforming into Nathalie again, and put her hands to her head, weeping. Almost without thinking about it, Hawk Moth reached up and took off his own butterfly pin. He wouldn’t be needing it anymore. Lila, no longer Party Crasher, and released from the effects of Queen Bee’s venom attack by the restoration field, slumped into herself, completely ignored by everyone around her.

Gabriel Agreste got to his feet and walked over to the tight knot of superheroes. Chat Noir- no, his son- was in there somewhere and he had a powerful need to hug him close.

Chat Noir and Ladybug were already recovered enough to stand, and without a word, Chat Noir got to his feet and hugged him. Gabriel looked up and sought Ladybug’s eyes. She smiled at him, her joy so obvious he could understand why everyone seemed to love this girl. Everyone except Lila, that was.

And that thought filled him with alarm and guilt. How could he have preyed on such a mind? How could he have encouraged her hatred? Used it for his own purposes? The thought horrified him now. 

Somehow his thoughts made it to his mouth in a single word, "Lila." He turned to look for the girl, but she was still sitting all by herself, and to all intents and purposes, no longer a threat to anyone. He even thought he saw tears on her face.

He turned his attention back to Adrien, trying to make up for years of neglect with this one single hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It still isn't as awesome as I'd like it to be, but it's the best fight scene I've ever written. 
> 
> In the interests of getting better, constructive criticism is welcome!


	21. Chapter 21

The helicopter buzzed overhead, and reporters were running towards them. Ladybug knew that many of her friends and accomplices were almost out of time on their transformations, so she sent them inside to detransform and feed their kwamis. She herself went to meet the reporters, trying to draw attention away from the sight of Chat Noir and Gabriel Agreste hugging as if they were the closest of friends. She wasn’t going to pull them apart, but there was no reason for him to out himself accidentally, either.

She was in the middle of a statement when gasps from the reporters and a piercing shout from behind her made her pause mid-sentence.

“MOM!!”

She turned with a gasp to see Emilie Agreste, the woman who had lain in the capsule, standing in the open door at the top of the stairs, clutching the door frame as if she wasn’t quite steady on her feet yet.

And then all her efforts to protect Chat Noir’s identity went through the window as he detransformed halfway across the courtyard, before bounding up the steps two at a time and nearly tackling her. And Gabriel Agreste wasn’t far behind.

Ladybug stood staring, aghast. It shouldn’t have been possible- Emilie Agreste was dead, had been dead… She and Adrien had agreed resurrecting her would play no part in their act of restoration… so what had happened here? Had they inadvertently killed someone else?! But their Phoenix form was so recent she could still recall the thoughts and feelings, and she was positive there had been no intention of bringing Emilie Agreste back to life. 

She wanted to freak out about it, but several things stopped her. One, the press was very much present. Two, Emilie was standing right there, and she couldn’t bear to sully this moment between the members of a severely broken family. Three… the only evidence they had that Emilie had actually been dead were the words of her husband, a man clearly not thinking straight. Had they misunderstood somehow? 

Whatever the reason, she didn’t have much time to think about it at all, as the reporters recaptured her attention.

“Ladybug! Can you tell us what just happened? What was that golden bird, and what was the golden sphere of light that shot out from it?”

“Ladybug, over here! Is that really Emilie Agreste? Is her return your doing?”

“Was Gabriel Agreste really Hawk Moth all this time?”

“Is Chat Noir really Adrien Agreste?”

“Who are all these new superheroes and are they here to stay?”

“Will you continue as Ladybug, now that the threat of Hawk Moth is gone?”

Ladybug held up her hand and they fell quiet, microphones at the ready. 

“Two days ago I told all of Paris that Chat Noir and I were going to take the fight to the enemy. Today we did, and I am more than happy to say that we prevailed. As for what happened, Chat Noir and I combined the powers of our respective miraculouses to heal and restore this city, and everyone and everything in it, to their best state. I can’t tell you much more than that about what we did, but I can say that all the effects should be beneficial.

As to the identity of Chat Noir… I think it should be obvious, now.” She took a deep breath. “Yes, Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth, but his burning desire to get his hands on my miraculous and that of his son, was so that he could restore the health of his wife, Emilie, who was reported disappeared a little over a year ago. I don’t know all the details on that, and honestly, I can’t say what happened that restored her to health, but I can say that I am thrilled she is back with her family. As for Mr. Agreste, ultimately the courts must have their say, but… speaking as Ladybug, I can only ask for leniency in his case, since I consider him to have been just as much a victim as any akumatized person. He was not in his right mind.

As for whether I remain Ladybug… I can’t say yet. I made a promise to all Parisians the day Hawk Moth first appeared- that they can count on my help, and that of Chat Noir, whenever there is a threat, and I’m sure the same goes for all our friends as well. Now that Hawk Moth is defeated, I hope that the days we are needed are few and far between. I think we’ve earned a little peace in our city. That’s all I have to say. Thank you.”

She walked away from the reporters to where most of the young superheroes, kwamis taken care of, were clustered around Gabriel, Adrien, and Emilie. They weren’t hugging anymore, and Gabriel seemed to be talking to each of them individually, but when he saw her approaching, he broke off what he was saying and came to meet her. And right there, in front of all the reporters and on-lookers, he hugged her as he had hugged his son. Ladybug was a little startled, but then hugged him back.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for… waking me up. I promise to make everything right, or as right as I can make it.”

“Of course,” Ladybug said. “Just… think of your family, Mr. Agreste?”

He nodded and then released her. Then he turned to the waiting cameras and microphones. 

“I want to take this opportunity to apologize to all of Paris. For these last months, I have been a menace to everyone here, posing as Hawk Moth with a stolen miraculous… all so that I could bring my wife back to life.” He paused and closed his eyes, grief plain to see on his face. “I have been selfish, thinking I could change reality and bring her back. Many of you know she… disappeared… about a year ago, but it wasn’t disappearance. She fell ill, and… there was nothing to be done, but I couldn’t let go. I will do what I can to repair any damage I may have caused. But I want to thank Ladybug and Chat Noir specifically for all they’ve done to help me, even when I thought we were bitter enemies. And these fine young heroes as well, without whom this afternoon’s miracle could not have occurred. Thank you, that’s all I have to say at this time.”

Ladybug patted his arm and moved away, leaving him to face the shouted questions alone. She needed to retrieve the butterfly and peacock miraculouses… They were lying forgotten on the pavement, and she scooped them up with a profound sense of relief, opening her yo-yo to stow them safely. Looking around she noticed that Lila was gone, but Nathalie was still sitting where she had been deposited. She went to her.

“Are you alright, Ms. Sancoeur?” She asked, kneeling beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I…” Nathalie said, as if she couldn’t quite put words together in a sentence just yet. “I… I’m better than… than I have been… in a long time.” Her lips quivered and she started crying again. “I’m so sorry! I never should have...” She hid her face behind her hands and shook. Ladybug squeezed her shoulder sympathetically.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Sancoeur. Everything is going to work out, you’ll see.” She patted her shoulder again and stood, noticing that her head was beginning to pound. She decided it was time to go.

Her superhero friends parted when she approached, revealing the little family group still standing in the doorway. Adrien had his arms wrapped around his mother, staring adoringly at her, but when he caught sight of Ladybug, he switched his attention to her. He grabbed her in the tightest hug he’d ever given her, whispering, “I don’t know how or why, but… thank you.”

“I don’t think it was my doing,” she whispered back. “But I’m glad.” I’m so going to have a freak-out session with Master Fu, though, she thought to herself.

“Adrien, let the poor girl breathe!” a soft, feminine voice chided. Adrien let her go, but from the way he was staring at her, Ladybug knew his feelings for her had, if anything, increased ten-fold. She was a little worried at the worship in his gaze, actually. They would have to talk about this… but later. She turned to Emilie Agreste and held out her hand.

“I’m so happy to meet you, Mrs. Agreste. I know Adrien has missed you terribly, and I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’ve returned.”

Emilie shot a look at Gabriel, who had the decency to look ashamed. “Yes, well… to be honest, I’m still not sure exactly what happened, except that my husband has behaved very badly.”

Ladybug shot a glance at him and bit her lip. “It’s a long story. But my friends and I need to leave now. Adrien?” She beckoned him a little apart. “I’m getting a pounding headache. What about you? Are you going to be ok? Do you want me to stay?”

Adrien wrapped her in another hug, this one not quite so tight. “No, bugaboo. I’m going to be just fine. Yes, I’m getting a headache, too, but… it’s worth it.” The joy in his voice called tears to her eyes.

“Ok. Get some rest. I’ll talk to you later?” She searched his face, finding no shadows there now.

“Count on it. Pound it?” he grinned, winking at her.

She smiled back. “Pound it.”

\----

Ladybug gathered all the other superheroes and they left, taking to the roofs and quickly dispersing. Ladybug didn’t bother trying to take a roundabout route back to the bakery. There was no point with everyone knowing her true identity, and she wanted to get indoors and away from prying eyes as quickly as possible. She wanted to call her parents back from wherever they’d taken refuge, but mostly she wanted her bed.

She landed on her own roof-top retreat and immediately detransformed. Then she opened the skylight, and was tempted to just stop at her bed. It was so inviting and soft under her. But then she heard sounds from the living room beneath. Startled, since she hadn’t called her parents to tell them they could come home yet, she opened the trap door and ran down, half fearing she had another fight on her hands. But there they were, sitting on the couch watching the live news coverage. When they saw her, they jumped up and then there was a crying hug-fest for a full five minutes.

When they finally released each other, Tom produced a giant tray of Ladybug themed macarons and Marinette took the opportunity to introduce them to Tikki, who no longer had to hide herself, and had no compunction about pouncing on the sugary treats. They were delighted with her, and she was very complimentary on their baking, finishing a whole layer of macarons all by herself. Then she curled up on Marinette’s shoulder and fell fast asleep. By that time Marinette’s energy was running out, too. She gave her parents another hug each, and then told them she was going to take a nap in her own bed.

Back upstairs, she took a moment to look around her own room. It was crazy how much she’d missed this space in the few days she’d been gone. And then she thought she might as well call Master Fu before she went to sleep.

“Master Fu,” she said, when he answered. “I’m sorry, I forgot to call earlier.”

“It is alright, Marinette,” he said. “I’ve been following the news. Very good work. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you and Chat Noir, both.”

“Yes, but I wanted to tell you,” she said, skating past the praise, “I have no idea how or why Emilie Agreste is alive! I know neither Adrien or I were thinking of that while we were merged. I want to talk to you about it, because I’m not sure… but I made sure to get the butterfly and peacock miraculous for you. I’m beat right now, and I’m going to take a nap, but they’re safe- they’re in my yo-yo.”

“Ah. Good place to keep them for now. And you’re right, we need to discuss the return of Mrs. Agreste, but that can wait. What’s done is done. Get some rest. We will see each other again soon.”

“Ok. Bye, Master.”

And then Marinette shed her borrowed clothing, put on clean pajamas, and crawled into bed, putting Tikki in her usual place on the pillow. She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

\----

Adrien was on cloud nine. His mother was alive! She was sitting right there on the couch beside him, breathing and talking and everything! Even the fact that his father was somewhat painfully explaining his actions while her face got darker and darker with suppressed anger couldn’t fully erase his elation.

When it looked like she was about to explode at him, Adrien laid his hand on her arm and simply said, “But if it weren’t for what he did, you wouldn’t be back now. I can’t be sorry for that.”

His mother looked at him, her face softening immediately. Then it morphed into concern. “Adrien, are you feeling alright? You look pale.” She put a hand on his forehead, and he closed his eyes on the sudden tears that sprang up.

“I’m f-fine,” he choked out. “It’s j-just a headache.”

“I think you’d better go lie down,” she urged. “What you did today… that must have taken a lot out of you. Plagg, look after him, alright?”

Adrien hadn’t had time to process her easy acceptance of kwamis yet, but he knew she was right. His head was pounding and it was hard to concentrate on anything but that at the moment. He hugged her tightly, just because he could, and then left to go to his own bedroom.

He took a quick shower, told Plagg to clean out the cheese cupboard as a reward for a good days work, and slid under the sheets. He fell asleep to the sounds of his parents shouting at each other, but he didn’t care one bit.

\----

Marinette woke up around 9 that night. Since it had been no later than mid-afternoon when she arrived home, her nap had lasted a full five hours. Tikki wasn’t on the pillow beside her anymore.

“Tikki?” she called, worried for a moment that something might have happened to her kwami.

“I’m here, Marinette,” Tikki said after a moment, floating up through the floorboards. “I’ll just tell your parents you’re awake. It’s nice to be able to talk to them now!” She floated back down, and Marinette got out of bed and was about to put on fresh clothes when the thought of a shower hit her with almost physical force. She wanted to get clean. Especially since… she blushed a little, remembering Adrien’s promise to talk “later.” She didn’t know he would come in person, but she had an idea that he might.

She gathered up her clothing and headed downstairs. Her parents were on the couch, still watching the news coverage. They were currently discussing the wide-spread effects of what they were calling the ‘restoration field.’ Apparently it had done all sorts of good throughout the city, erasing rust and oxidation, healing the sick, mending all sorts of broken things. She was tempted to sit down and watch, but then she caught a whiff of herself.

“Hey, I’m going to take a shower, alright?”

“Of course, sweetie. We’ll be here when you get out. I left some supper on the stove for you.”

“Thanks, mom,” Marinette whispered, tearing up suddenly and surprising herself. She bolted into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, then burst into tears. A few seconds later Tikki wizzed through the door.

“What’s wrong, Marinette?” she asked. She nuzzled her cheek comfortingly.

“I don’t know!” Marinette sobbed. “I’m home, everyone’s safe, it’s all over, so… I don’t know why I’m crying!”

“Oh! Now I remember,” Tikki said, suddenly confident. “Many of my Ladybugs have done this after they’ve finally won a hard battle. It’s called reaction, Marinette, and it’s perfectly normal. You’ve been so stressed out, and you’ve had to keep your emotions under such tight control that now that the reason for all of that no longer exists, your body takes this way to let off some steam. You’ll feel better after you’ve cried for a while, don’t worry.”

Marinette nodded through her tears and, reassurred, went about taking her shower, using the hot water to cover the sound of her sobs. She didn’t want to worry her parents again, after all they’d been through already.

The tears had slowed down enough that by the time she was through and dressed again, she just looked like she had allergies. She came out to find a plate of food waiting for her and sat down to eat it, then joined her parents on the couch.

“Honey, you’ve been crying,” her dad said, concerned. Marinette thought about lying, but decided they deserved the truth. They could see she’d been crying, so it was no use lying anyway, and it would only make them more worried. So instead, she nodded, and explained what Tikki had told her. They both hugged her, which made the tears fall a little faster again.

Fortunately, the news anchors decided to show some footage from that afternoon that completely distracted her. It showed a monstrous, beautiful golden bird, apparently made out of flame, rising up through the Agreste mansion roof, with a golden bubble of light around it that harbored several individuals.

Marinette gasped. “It’s… beautiful,” she said. “Is that really what we looked like?”

“You didn’t know?” her mom asked in surprise.

Marinette shook her head. The bird and bubble sank toward the ground, then the bubble disappeared, leaving the people inside it on solid pavement. Then the bird rose up high in the air again and spread it’s wings, flapping them once. As it flapped, a sphere of golden energy surged away from it, travelling far and fast, and obviously passing through all solid matter.

“Wow…” Marinette said. “I don’t remember much after we merged- Chat Noir and me, I mean… just a powerful urge to fix everything.”

Her dad chuckled. “Well, you certainly did that! Your mom and I both saw and felt that surge, and it was… indescribable. But in a good way. As if every bad thought or negative emotion just crumbled and blew away. And this incredible sense of… of health and well-being.”

The bird sank down toward the ground again, and once there, diminished and faded until two figures recognizable as Ladybug and Chat Noir separated from inside it and fell to the ground on hands and knees.

The news cut back to the anchors then, and Marinette was left marveling at what she and Chat Noir had achieved. 

She spent some time with her parents, but the crying had left her drained again, and she headed back to her room fairly quickly. But instead of going back to bed, she climbed out onto the roof and leaned against the railing, looking at the city lights and waiting.

She didn’t have to wait long. Chat Noir soon landed on the railing beside her. He smiled and hopped down, detransforming. Marinette smiled back at Adrien. 

“There are seven cameras trained on this balcony right now, but… I don’t care,” he said, opening his arms. She was in them in a heartbeat, wrapping her own around his back and snuggling close to his chest. They stayed that way for a while, just breathing and enjoying the closeness.

Eventually, Marinette pulled away. “I should probably yell at you for detransforming right in front of a crowd of reporters… but I’m not going to. I don’t think I could have withstood the temptation myself.”

“Yeah. I wasn’t thinking straight, but… I don’t care about that, either. It’s only fair- they know about you, they might as well know about me, because if you stop being Ladybug then I’m not going to be Chat Noir, either. And besides, this makes our dating much less complicated. No one’s going to look twice if they see Marinette with Chat Noir, or Adrien with Ladybug, because they’ll already know we’re still the same couple.” He sighed, gazing at her. “Can I kiss you? I really want to.”

She smiled and nodded and they spent more than a few minutes in lip-locked heaven. Somehow they wound up cuddling in her deck chair under the canopy.

“Are things going to be… okay, with your family?” Marinette finally found the courage to ask.

Adrien looked up at the stars. "I think it will be. Mother is royally pissed at Father, but… he deserves it and he knows it, and… that actually helps. He's feeling pretty guilty. I don't know what to expect, and I think it's going to take some time for us to reach a new normal, but… I don’t mind that. Anything is worth having her back." 

Marinette shifted slightly, causing him to tighten his arms around her. "I guess that makes sense. I hope it doesn't take too long."

"Nathalie quit, which… she never tried to be a mother to me, but… she was still the closest thing I had since mom disappeared. It’s for the best, I think, but I’m going to miss her."

"I'm sorry."

"It's just going to take time. What about you? Everything ok with your parents?"

"They're happy to have me back.” She shrugged. “It's all going to be different though. My identity was blown, so… at least I don't have to lie anymore, and Tikki doesn't have to hide." She rubbed her face then, and he noticed she still looked tired and drawn. "I don't know what to expect, either. Tomorrow, the next day… at school… I don’t even know if Master Fu will let me keep being Ladybug."

Adrien didn’t know what to say to that. “I can give you some tips, if you want,” he offered. “I’ve been kind of famous for a while.”

“Thank you,” Marinette said, looking at him gratefully. “I’d like that.”

He took a breath to clear his head. Why did she look so good in the moonlight? “Ok, so, always keep smiling. Even when you don’t feel like it. Practice in the mirror while Tikki says insulting or surprising things to you, so you can see how your expression changes, and work on it until you can stay at least pleasantly neutral whatever is going on around you. Stay polite, but be firm. Don’t let anyone back you into a corner, either physically or with words. But most of all… no matter what happens, stay the same sweet person you already are. Because I don’t think I could love anyone else.”

And then Marinette was smiling at him, and Adrien decided it was time for more kisses. But he could tell by her response she was getting tired again, so they unfolded themselves from the chair, said a lingering goodbye, and then he transformed back into Chat Noir and headed out into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I wasn't going to bring Emilie back from the dead. I started this with the thought that she was actually dead, and she was going to stay dead. But... from hints online it seems as though she may not be. So, while the characters were under the impression she had actually died for most of this, I decided to go with the rumor-mill. It makes for a happier ending.
> 
> I'm justifying her resurrection with the theory that her "death-like state" was caused by the malfunctioning peacock miraculous, and that when it was restored by Adrien and Marinette as Phoenix, she was also revived. Make of that what you will...


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning proved that life would never be the same for Marinette or her family again. It was a school day, and since there was definitive proof that Hawk Moth had been dealt with, there was no reason to cancel classes. At least, that was what the administrative email from Mr. Damocles said.

All through breakfast, the news stations and morning shows were focused on what Ladybug and Chat Noir had done the day before, and speculation about what they would do next. They were also sure to remind everyone, just in case they’d forgotten in the three days since it happened, that Ladybug was actually Marinette Dupain-Cheng, fourteen year old high school student and the daughter of bakers. Marinette could hardly eat anything. Just watching the news footage tied her stomach in knots. 

While getting ready for school she went over what Adrien had told her the night before with Tikki.

“Ok. Keep smiling, that’s the key,” she said. “Be firm, but stay polite. Oh, Tikki, what if they won’t let me get to school on time? I can’t be late, I have to set a good example, now more than ever. People know I’m Ladybug- if I’m late to school, that’s bad!”

“Take a breath Marinette. It’s going to be ok.”

“But… I have all this school work to get caught up on, and projects to finish, and my phone won’t stop ringing…”

On cue, her phone started ringing. She didn’t even look at it, just turned off the ringer. People had started calling at 5 am that morning, mostly reporters looking for interviews, but also friends and people just trying to get her to endorse something for them. Penni, Jagged Stones’ secretary/agent had even called, leaving a message saying that a Ladybug appearance at one of his concerts would be an awesome collaboration.

“Ok, Marinette. Just breathe. We came up with a script, remember?”

“Right. Right.”

“What are you going to say?”

“Right. I’m going to say, ‘Good morning. I know everyone knows I’m Ladybug, but right now I’m not Ladybug, I’m just Marinette, an ordinary girl, who needs to go to school.’ Ok. I can do this.” She put on her backpack, took a deep breath, and prepared to face the crowd of reporters outside.

The only problem was that the crowd of reporters wasn’t just outside, they were also camped out on the landing outside the apartment door. Marinette opened it only to be blinded by a dozen flashbulbs going off at once. The press was so bad they actually started pushing into the apartment as soon as the door was open. 

Tom Dupain was there almost immediately, pushing them all back into the hall. “Alright, alright, now that’s enough! My daughter needs to go to school, you can all get pictures and interviews later! Later, I said! Go on, back up. Clear a path!”

Reluctantly, the reporters backed off. Marinette gathered the shreds of her confidence and faced them. She smiled. And then she said. “I know you all want pictures and sound bites, and I promise I will be reasonable about granting interviews as Ladybug. But right now, I’m not Ladybug, I’m just Marinette, an ordinary girl who needs to get to school on time.” And then she held her head as high as she could and pushed her way through the crowd of reporters who, somewhat to her surprise, actually backed up to let her through.

It was a good thing she had that experience to get her through the gauntlet outside, and better that she lived just about across the street from her school. If she’d had to walk much further, she didn’t know if she’d been able to do it. She might have chickened out and stayed holed up in her own, reporter-free room until all the attention died down.

Getting in the school doors was a relief. Mr. Haprele, who was groundskeeper at the school as well as being an increasingly well-known actor and mime, was guarding the doors and keeping anyone but students out. He firmly shut the door in the face of video cameras and flashbulbs. 

Marinette stopped a moment to take a breath. “Thanks, Mr. Haprele,” she said with a grateful smile. He tipped his hat to her. “Anything for our Ladybug,” he said. “Can’t have reporters swarming the school, disrupting learning…”

Her smile faded a bit. “Right. Well, I’d better get to class.”

“Uh, Marinette?”

She looked back. 

“Thank you. And thank Chat Noir for me, too.”

This time her smile was genuine. “I will.”

She started toward her normal classroom, but she’d barely gotten halfway across the open courtyard before she began to notice students stopping to stare at her, raising their phones to take pictures, or just whispering to each other as she passed. It felt surprisingly isolating. She put her head down and hurried, quickly bumping into someone. She looked up to see Adrien, and smiled involuntarily.

“Hey,” he said. “Rough start to your morning?”

“Yes! You have no idea! … well, maybe you do.”

“Come on, class is about to start.” He walked beside her, holding her hand, and everything suddenly seemed much brighter and more hopeful. “Alya and Nino are waiting for us up the stairs.” He leaned closer and said quietly. “I asked her to let me meet you first. Otherwise, you would have been tackled at the door.”

She giggled, good humor and mood restored. Alya did indeed tackle her as soon as she was close enough, and even Nino gave her a firm hug. To her relief, neither of them mentioned Ladybug.

Walking into the classroom was almost normal. Quite a few of her classmates were secret superheroes themselves now, so they didn’t do much more than smile encouragingly at her. The rest of them clustered around, voicing their surprise and their admiration in a flood of words. Even the classmates who were also superheroes got in on it, keeping up appearances. Maybe they were just voicing the surprise they’d felt at first, and could finally say.

“It’s really awesome that you turned out to be Ladybug, Marinette.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell anyone at all!”

“And Adrien is Chat Noir! I still can’t believe that.”

Marinette smiled but shrank back a bit, and felt Adrien tighten the arm around her waist. It was comforting that she wasn’t the only one facing everyone’s suprise and admiration.  
“Guys… look, I’m… I’m not Ladybug right now, ok? I promise I’ll answer questions later- maybe at lunch? But right now… well, class is about to start, right?”

“That’s right, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe said from her own seat. “I never let being Queen Bee get in the way of my education. Way to take a page from my book.”

Marinette blinked, but just shook her head and headed to her seat beside Alya. Adrien slid into the seat in front of her with an encouraging nod.

Miss Bustier came into the classroom then, and everyone settled down.

“Good morning students. I know we’ve all been in an uproar the last few days, but let’s try to focus on the reason we’re here. I want you to know how proud I am of all of you- so far, you’ve handled all these surprises in your lives with more grace and wisdom than many so-called adults would have. But I do have some sad news. Lila Rossi won’t be coming back to school here. Her mother has decided to pull her out and send her to a boarding school in Switzerland. It seems she thought there was too much upheaval here, and her daughter’s education was suffering.”

Marinette’s eyes narrowed, detecting a lie or two in that explanation. But at least neither she nor Adrien would ever have to deal with Lila again, which could only be good. She wasn’t sure she would have been able to forgive Lila for what she’d done and for what she’d tried to do. At least, not immediately.

“Now, let’s get to it, shall we? Everyone turn to page 56…”

Marinette relaxed for the first time that morning.

\----

At lunchtime everyone clustered around Marinette, and Adrien didn’t go home for lunch, staying with her instead. That surprised Marinette, considering how short a time his mother had been back, but she didn’t have time to ask him any questions about it. The questions from other students came fast and thick.

“What’s it like being Ladybug?”

“Were you scared?”

“What was Hawk Moth like?”

“When did you figure out your dad was Hawk Moth, Adrien?”

“How did you do that bird thing with Chat Noir?”

“What was that golden light sphere? It felt really amazing!”

“Can you do it again?”

“Are you going to keep being Ladybug, even though everyone knows who you are?”

“How did you get captured in the first place?”

“How on earth did you get away with being Chat Noir, Adrien?”

Marinette and Adrien exchanged rueful glances. He took her hand under the table and squeezed it. She took a deep breath and stood up.

“Ok, everyone, one at a time! Yes, I was scared. I was more scared than I’ve ever been because I wasn’t sure I could save everyone this time. Being Ladybug is amazing, but it’s also a lot of work. Hawk Moth was the same as always, dangerous and menacing. As for the phoenix, no, I can’t do that again. It was a special, one-time, hopefully never-to-be-repeated event that was necessary to fix something that was so wrong it needed both of our powers working together. I don’t know what the golden light sphere was, I don’t really remember much about being the phoenix, but it wasn’t just me, it was Chat Noir- Adrien- in there, too. 

I don’t know if I’m going to keep being Ladybug. I guess I will if I’m needed until it’s someone else’s turn. As for how I was captured…” she paused. “Hawk Moth used an akumatized person as a decoy to trick me. That victim used their power to put me to sleep after I rescued what I thought was Adrien. Then they took me to Hawk Moth while I was vulnerable. I want to make clear that… I was being stupid. I didn’t even consider that the Adrien we all saw might be a decoy, so I wasn’t looking for the trick, and it was my own fault that I got captured in the first place.” She sat back down and took an emphatic bite of her lunch.

Adrien stood up. “As for me, I didn’t figure out my father was Hawk Moth until he captured me and told me himself. I may have been an idiot for not seeing it before, but… he was really good at keeping it a secret, and he wasn’t working alone. His personal assistant turned out to be Mayura. She was probably covering for him at least part of the time. As for how I got away with being Chat Noir all this time? That’s a trade secret I’m afraid I can’t reveal. Can we eat now, please?” he asked with a winning smile. The crowd of students drifted away, talking among themselves.

Marinette slumped in her seat, staring at her suddenly unappetizing meal. “Is it going to be like this forever?” she asked plaintively.

Adrien nudged her elbow with his. “No. All the excitement will die down in a few days. And don’t worry, you’re doing great. You haven’t blown up at anyone yet, and you paid enough attention in classes that none of the teachers stumped you.”

Alya and Nino set their trays down on the other side of the table. “Hey you two,” Alya cooed. “So… when are we going to go on a double date? I’m thinking maybe the ice rink? Or pizza and a movie?”

Before either Marinette or Adrien had a chance to answer, Rose and Juleka sat down on either side of them. “Oooh, what’s this about dates?” Rose gasped. “No! Don’t tell me you two are finally dating?! Eeeeee! I just knew it!”

Chloe, passing behind Alya and Nino just then, trailed by Sabrina holding two lunch trays. She glowered and said, “Hmph. If you ask me, Adrien can do a lot better than Dupain-Cheng.” Then she stalked off.

Adrien got his blushes under control first, and turned to Rose, who gazed at him adoringly. “Uh, well… I mean, Marinette’s my friend, and her turning out to be Ladybug is just icing on the cake as far as I’m concerned. But yes…” He looked at Marinette with a soft smile, “we’re dating now.” And then they both blushed and looked away from each other shyly.

Rose squeeed and got up to hug them both, then hugged Juleka, who was more laid back about the whole thing. “Well, it’s about time if you ask me,” she mumbled, eating her own meal. “I think it’s really cool that you’re Ladybug, by the way.”

“Oooo, can I write a song about you two?”

“Um, well…” Marinette hedged, her face burning. “I mean, is it going to be about Ladybug, or about… us?” she asked apprehensively.

“You two, of course! But of course Ladybug will be part of it because you’re Ladybug! Oh, this is just the most inspiring thing ever! I have to get busy,” she got out a pink notebook with a fluffy pencil stuck in the spirals, and got to work, ignoring the food in front of her.

Somehow, they both managed to make it through lunch without expiring from acute embarrassment.  
\----

The school day seemed to go smoother after lunch. Marinette found she could concentrate in class and the other students mostly left her alone. After the last class, Mark and Nathaniel tracked her down and asked if they could talk to her.

“Sure guys, what’s up?” she asked.

“So… uh,” Mark hung his head. “Um, we wanted to ask if it was still ok to make our comic books. You know, since they’re... kind of about you?”

“Of course! It doesn’t matter to me, in fact it’s kind of fun to read.”

“But… the stories aren’t true.”

“That’s what makes it fun, Nathaniel. There’s no pressure to get it right that way.” She put a hand on both boys shoulders. “Trust me, it’s fine.”

They smiled and Nathaniel said. “Ok. Thanks, Mari- uh, Ladybug.” Mark gave her a shy smile and a wave as they walked away.

Marinette continued on to the art room. She had a project to finish, and she wasn't looking forward to facing the news reporters again. Alix was there, working on a new mural. Marinette stared when she saw it. It was highly stylized, but the centerpiece was a ladybug beetle surrounded by all the other superheroes who seemed to be leaping out of the emblem. Only Chat Noir and Viperion were currently recognizable, but the base colors of the others gave them away.

"Wow!" Marinette said. "That's amazing Alix! You should sell prints of that when it's done."

Alix turned away from the mural. She pulled the respirator down and said, “Ladybug approved, huh? Cool.” She pulled the respirator back up and continued working.

Marinette’s smile faded. She walked over to her own workstation and got out her project- this time a pink hat that would be perfect for Rose. The art room teacher stepped over to her.

“How is your project coming along, Marinette?” he asked. Marinette smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s almost done. I can’t decide what to decorate it with, though. Rose loves pink, but I think it needs some contrast.”

“Hm.. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. And… what was the thank you for?”

“For calling me Marinette.”

“But… that’s your name.”

“Yes, it is. But today everyone’s been calling me Ladybug instead.” Marinette looked down. “They don’t get it. I’m only Ladybug when I’m wearing the costume and saving… whoever needs saving. The rest of the time, I’m just... Marinette.”

“Well, “just Marinette,” I don’t think anyone is “just” anything. I think you became Ladybug because you had the right set of skills and talents, and the right heart for it. And that all came from Marinette, not from the costume. But you’re right in one way- your secret identity may be known now, but you still deserve to lead a relatively normal life. You’ll always be welcome here, no matter what you’re wearing.” He patted her shoulder and walked back toward Alix, who was hesitating over some aspect of her mural.

Marinette turned back to her hat.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so close to the end, guys... I promise, there's only one thing I need to wrap up. One more chapter after this, although it may end up being a long one.

Adrien had fencing that afternoon, which meant he would have to face Kagami. He was wondering how well he would do against her while suiting up. He felt a little guilty, because he had asked her on a date once, and he’d been flattered when he found out she thought he was the only boy worthy of her attention. He’d even wondered seriously if he ought to pursue her since Ladybug wasn’t responding to him except as a partner and friend.

Now, of course, that was unthinkable, but it didn’t change her feelings for him. Kagami had been gracious enough to help him and Marinette merge to form the phoenix, but he hadn’t been able to speak to her that night, or since. She’d actually walked away from him when he tried to. So he wondered how their fencing would go this afternoon. 

It’d been a long time since he’d been nervous about meeting a sparring partner, but… it was going to be different this afternoon. He walked out of the locker room, expecting to see her signature red fencing uniform waiting for him. He waited ten minutes, but she didn’t come. Eventually Mr. D’Argencourt assigned him another partner for the day’s lesson. His new partner wasn’t up to Kagami’s standard, and he found himself missing the way her skills pushed him. He always had to fight for victory with her, and with the new partner, winning was too easy. 

To distract himself, he went into a kind of teacher mode, where he helped the other student perfect his own skills by demonstration and subtle adjustment, showing him how to do the moves perfectly and drilling with him till he got them right. At the end of the hour, his partner thanked him and left. Adrien was left feeling… he wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

In the locker room he decided to text her.

[Adrien]: Hey where were you? I missed you kicking my butt.  
[Adrien]: I hope you’re not going to quit because of me.

He waited a while but she didn’t respond, so he sent one final text.

[Adrien]: I’m sorry. I can tell you don’t want to talk right now, but when you’re ready… let me know.

He sighed and got changed. Marinette had said she’d wait for him in the art room, so he went there to find her. Once there, he stood leaning against the doorway for a moment, just watching her. She was holding various things up to the hatband of a dainty pink hat and studying them, pulling the hat close, pushing it away, turning it to the light. He was struck by the sudden thought that he could stand and watch her all day long. Chuckling quietly at himself, he went over to her. She glanced up and smiled at him as he got closer.

“Hey, are you ready? If it’s alright, my mom really wants to talk to you this evening. The Gorilla isn’t out of the hospital yet, but my mom said she’d send a car. In fact, she told me to invite your whole family over for dinner, if… if that’s okay.” He hesitated over the last part, seeing her face freeze.

She set the hat down carefully and took his hand. He braced himself. Whatever was going to come out of her mouth wasn’t going to be good, he could tell just by the carefully neutral expression on her face.

“Adrien… I can’t take my parents to your house. Not right now. I just… can’t. Um…” she brushed at her bangs with the other hand. “It’s just… too soon. I-I’ll be happy to talk to your mom, but do you think she’d mind coming to our apartment instead?”

The hand holding his was trembling, no, shaking. She was shaking.

He knelt beside her chair. “Are you scared to come over?” he asked quietly, then shook his head. “That’s a stupid question. I’m sorry.” 

He hadn’t anticipated this, but he should have. He really should have. His mom… she couldn’t have known. But Adrien should have realized that he couldn’t ask his partner- now his girlfriend- to bring her family over to the house where she and they had been threatened by his own father just days before.

He sighed, and ran a hand through his own hair, trying to stave off a sudden surge of anger. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Marinette, I wasn’t thinking. Of course. Of course, I’ll ask her to come to your apartment instead. Or, if you want, maybe we could meet somewhere else, someplace neutral, like a restaurant or something.”

“I’m sorry, kitty,” Marinette whispered. “I wish I could…”

“It’s not your fault,” he said, almost biting off the words. The euphoria of his mom coming back had carried him through last night and most of the day, but reality was starting to intrude again. His father, his own father, was the reason he couldn’t invite his girlfriend and her family over to his house. It was infuriating. He had a sudden overpowering urge to transform and run back to his house as fast as possible just so he could throttle his father for creating this situation. He squeezed his eyes shut and fought it.

“Are you ok, kitty?” Marinette asked after a while, gently running a hand over his hair. He belatedly realized he had his head in her lap, was probably squeezing her hand painfully, and doing some shaking of his own. He concentrated on his breathing. When he felt he had the anger under control again, he sat back up and kissed her hand.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” he said. “I lost it for a moment. My father…” he took a calming breath. “I hate that he’s the reason you don’t want to come over. I get it, I do. I just hate it.”

Marinette was silent for a moment. “I think… maybe we should both talk to someone about all this. Master Fu even told you to, remember?”

Adrien nodded. “Yeah. I think I will. The last thing I want is to have some kind of nervous breakdown and scare you away. Aside from my mom coming back, you’re the best thing about my life. I don’t want to lose you.”

Marinette chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. And I’m sure there isn’t a single therapist in the city who wouldn’t be thrilled to have Ladybug and Chat Noir as clients. The real trick is going to be finding someone who is going to help us without using us for marketing purposes.”

Adrien smiled at that. “That’s something Nathalie could have helped with…”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to find someone ourselves. Or maybe my parents could help.”

He noted she didn’t mention his parents. Granted, his father’s reputation was tarnished beyond repair and his mother had been out of the loop for more than a year, but… it still hurt. He sighed and kissed her hand again. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

To his surprise he found his chin being forced up. “Never. Say that. To me. Again,” Marinette insisted, fierce eyes holding his. Then her gaze softened. “Adrien, I know. I know you’ve been neglected and starved for affection and made to feel like you’re not important. But you are. You so are. You are important to me, and Alya, and Nino, and… so many others. All of Paris! You. Matter. You deserve to have good things. You deserve to feel and be loved. Just by being you, just by… existing.” She kissed his forehead. “I hope you realize that someday. I’m giving you fair warning that I’m making it my new mission to make you believe it in as little time as possible.”

He leaned his forehead against hers, holding both her hands, wondering what he had ever done to deserve Marinette Dupain-Cheng in his life. 

\----

Adrien, Alya, and Nino walked her home, forming a kind of defensive cluster around her so the reporters were forced to stay back. They noticed Adrien, too, of course, but perhaps because he was already a celebrity figure from his highly publicized modeling career, they weren’t as interested in him as they were in her.

Marinette invited them all up once they got there, but Adrien said he needed to get home so he could talk to his mom about the evening’s arrangements. Nino said he had to babysit his brother, but Alya agreed to come up.

Once they got to Marinette’s room, Alya flopped down on the chaise while Marinette curled up in her computer chair.

“So,” Marinette asked. “What are you going to do with the LadyBlog?”

She wasn’t sure if it was a loaded question or not, given that she herself was Ladybug and Alya had been trying for the past year to find out her true identity.

Alya propped herself up on one elbow and grinned at her. “I don’t know… what do you want me to do with it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Weeellll… I kinda had a thought. We could sort of be partners on it? You know, I could still report on any action you guys see, and you could informally use it to, I don’t know, alert certain people if you need their help?” She said, winking at her.

Marinette frowned. “But without Hawk Moth, there aren’t going to be any more akumas, no more magically enhanced villains to fight. I’m pretty sure Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to go into retirement for a while.”

“And that might be true. In fact, I hope it is! But in the meantime, you still have fans out there, and they’re going to want to know more now that everyone knows who you are, and they’re going to expect me to provide it, since I’m your actual best friend.” Alya sighed. “I figure, if we work together, I can make sure your privacy remains at least partially intact, and that only the things you really want known get out. And hey… if, and I only say if, there happen to be more attacks on Paris, you can use it as a real-time alert for say, Pegasus. Or Viperion. Or… pretty much any of the other superheroes out there. Anyone Ladybug or Chat Noir feel might be needed in the fight.”

Marinette smiled. “Does that include Rena Rouge?”

“You know it, girl! I happen to know she’s always up for a fight next to her bestie.”

Marinette thought it over. “You have some good points. Yeah… I think a partnership could be a good idea. I want to hash out some details later, though. You know, drawing lines and all that.” She looked away and sighed. “I’m actually kind of relieved all this is out in the open now. I don’t have to lie to anyone anymore. But it’s hard, too. Adrien says the excitement will die down, and eventually I won’t have reporters dogging my every step, but right now…”

Alya smiled sympathetically. “And how are things with dream kitty?”

That surprised a laugh out of her. “What did you call him?”

“Dream kitty.” Alya shrugged. “What can I say, he’s been your dream guy since you met him, and half that time he’s been impersonating a cat.”

Marinette laughed for at least a full minute. Alya privately considered that a job well done. They spent the next hour discussing design projects and school work, and not touching on anything that had happened in the past three days. And when Alya left, Marinette looked a lot less drawn and stressed than she had at the end of the school day.

\----

Once Alya had gone, Marinette decided it was time to take care of something important. She called Master Fu.

“Master Fu,” she said, when he answered. “I still have the peacock and butterfly miraculous and… to be honest, I’m not sure how to get them back to you. I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to the news, but I basically can’t go anywhere without reporters following me, either as myself, or as Ladybug. I don’t think I should keep them until all the excitement dies down, but…”

“Do not worry, Marinette,” Fu said, reassuringly. “I thought of that myself, and I’ve come up with a plan. Your parents run a bakery, and I’m sure that many people who would otherwise not go there will come by just because they want baked goods from Ladybug’s parents. Make up a special box for me- I’d like croissants, and some raspberry tartlets- and hide the miraculous in the box when I come in. That way, I will be just one more customer, and no one will know you have passed anything along.”

Marinette drew a relieved breath. “That’s a great plan, Master Fu. Thank you so much! I was getting so worried about them!” She thought for a minute. “If you’ll let me know when you plan to come by, I can arrange with my parents to work that shift in the bakery. And I won’t put the miraculous in the box until I see you with my own eyes.” That should take care of any potential mixups.

“That will work. Shall we say tomorrow around noon? I know it is a school day for you, but you can use the excuse that the bakery is twice as busy right now.” He chuckled. “Perhaps you can even convince Adrien to come along and help.”

Marinette laughed. “He wouldn’t know the first thing about it! I think he would be more hindrance than help.” She sobered. “Master… we’re still going to have the problem that I can’t move around without people noticing where I go and when. Maybe we should come up with a permanent go-between? It can’t be Adrien or Chat Noir, but… I was thinking maybe Nino.”

“Not your friend Alya?” Master Fu asked.

“Alya has fame of her own,” Marinette said, a little sadly. “Otherwise I would choose her, no doubt about it. But she’s known for the LadyBlog, and now for being Ladybug’s best friend. Even if she’s not going to be watched as closely as Adrien and I will be, people will still take note if she starts visiting a Chinese massage parlor on a regular basis.”

“Hm. A good point,” Master Fu conceded. “I will think about it. Nino might be an acceptable choice, but I don’t think we should choose too quickly. It may be that there is someone else better suited to that role.”

“Alright. Well, I have some schoolwork to catch up on,” Marinette said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter, folks. This is it.
> 
> EDIT: I just noticed that I posted most of chapter 23 here at the beginning of 24. Sorry! I fixed it!

The next day was a virtual repeat of the day before, except that her fellow students, aside from continuing to take pictures and video of her simply walking by them, mostly refrained from asking too many questions. Some of them approached her, but they were shy and didn’t push her too much. That kind of attention was much easier to take, and Marinette found herself believing for the first time that a day would eventually come when she didn’t have to police every action or expression for fear it would end up on the front page of the newspaper or the top story of a news site or blog.

Adrien was a little more reserved than he was the day before. He was quieter, and when they weren’t in class, he was holding her hand or had an arm wrapped around her waist. He seemed to crave the physical contact with her, and she was more than happy to oblige. The talk/dinner with his mother hadn’t happened the day before. He hadn’t told her why, just texted to let her know it would be postponed. The fact that he hadn’t called her spoke volumes about how he’d felt about that. Marinette didn’t press for answers. There would be plenty of time and right now everyone’s emotions were heightened.

She went back to the bakery for lunch, after hurriedly whispering an explanation in Adrien’s ear on her way out of the school. Her parents had been surprised when she offered to help out on her lunch hour, but they didn’t object. She may have dropped a few hints that her involvement was a Ladybug matter, but they didn’t push to know more.

The bakery was already crowded with customers when she got there, but once people saw she was manning the register herself, phones came out, texts, tweets, and status updates were posted, and helping out became less a matter of helping and more a matter of survival. It was worth it though. She was so frazzled by the press of people, that by the time Master Fu stepped up to the register she treated him as just another customer right up until she was putting the last tartlet into his box. Tikki had to pinch her before she remembered to put the two jewels in the box as well, using the box lid as cover. He paid, she handed over the box, and it was done. He smiled and left. And then Marinette was still stuck at the register until there were no more than five minutes of her lunch hour left and she had to frantically run to get to class on time.

She assumed that was the last she’d hear of it for a while, but that evening she got a call from him. It was annoying, since Adrien was over for a visit and they were cuddled up on the couch watching anime and stealing occasional kisses, but… Master Fu wouldn’t be calling unless it was important.

“Hello, Master Fu,” she said, trying her best not to sound annoyed.

“Marinette, are you sure you gave me the right jewels?” he asked.

Marinette sat straight up, startling Adrien and knocking over a bowl of popcorn they were sharing. “What do you mean? Of course I did! I wouldn’t have switched them out, you know that!”

“Hm… the peacock is here, but the butterfly is a clever imitation.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. Adrien noticed her panic and pulled away, not sure if he needed to comfort her or transform immediately.

“What’s wrong?” he mouthed at her. 

She raised a hand in a ‘wait’ gesture before saying, “Adrien’s here, too, Master Fu. We’re going to go up to my bedroom so I can put you on speaker phone, ok? Wait a minute.”

Adrien paused the movie, and Marinette offered her parents a quick explanation before they both bolted for her room. Marinette took the precaution of locking the trap door before she pulled her phone out again and activated the speaker phone.

“Ok, Master Fu, can you repeat what you told me?”

“The peacock miraculous you gave me is genuine, and all the kwamis are so happy to see Dusuu again- but the butterfly miraculous is a clever fake. Honestly, it’s so well done that it took me quite some time to decide that it was a fake and not damaged in some way as to prevent Nooroo from manifesting.”

“B-but how?” Marinette asked, “How could they have been switched? I’ve had them both since I picked them up in the courtyard after we defeated Hawk Moth!”

Master Fu was silent for a moment. “Did you recover them immediately after they were discarded?”

Marinette thought back. Phoenix had landed and she and Chat had both needed time to recover. Then there were the reporters, and the excitement of Emilie’s return…

“Now that I think about it, Master, I didn’t get them until some time had passed,” Marinette admitted, the pit in her stomach getting deeper by the second. She felt physically sick.

Adrien jumped into the conversation. “Someone else must have picked up the real miraculous and left the fake behind to throw off the trail. But there were dozens of cameras and photographers there that day. All we have to do is ask to view the pictures and footage as Ladybug and Chat Noir, and I’m sure we’ll find whoever it was quickly.”

He squeezed Marinette’s hand comfortingly. Marinette squeezed back and concentrated on her breathing. How could she have been so stupid? She heard Adrien wrap up the conversation with Master Fu, and then abruptly she was in his arms, and he felt so safe and warm…

“It’s going to be ok,” he murmured soothingly, lightly rubbing her back. “We’re going to find whoever took it and get it back. Don’t worry. We’ve done this before.”

“But it’s my fault it’s missing in the first place. If I’d only gone straight for the miraculouses first…”

“I was there, too, you know. I could have done that just as easily, but I didn’t. I was too wrapped up in my own personal matters to think that far ahead. This isn’t just on you, my lady.”

Marinette took a long shuddering breath. She saw the worry in Adrien’s eyes and took a shorter, stronger breath. “Well, kitty… looks like we have to put our movie night on hold.”

\----

They decided that it would be more politic for Chat Noir to go to the news stations and for Ladybug to visit the Agreste mansion. 

Chat Noir had no problem getting access. All he had to do was hitch a ride with one of the many news vans still lurking outside the Dupain-Cheng bakery. They were more than happy to assist, considering he promised them an exclusive interview at a later date.

In the monitoring room, he asked to see the raw footage from the afternoon Hawk Moth was defeated, from just after Phoenix landed. The film tech pulled up several video files and put them on several monitors. Chat Noir viewed the footage in slow motion, pausing at the point where his father obviously pulled off his miraculous before standing and going over to the knot of superheroes. From there he called up the footage frame by frame. It was tedious, and the angle wasn’t the best, but it was the only way he could be sure.

His father had definitely put the miraculous on the ground, and thereafter he hadn’t gone near it at all. He did notice a furtive movement that didn’t last very long, two frames at most, but he couldn’t tell who it was or what exactly they were doing.

He went to the next file, fast forwarding to the same moment. It was from a different angle, and he hoped he would be able to see… there. There was the movement again, just after his father had gotten up and moved away. He tried zooming in, but the resolution wasn’t good enough.

The next video file had the answer. He could see past first Nathalie, then Gabriel, to the person behind him. “Lila,” he whispered, frowning. He watched frame by frame again, but there was no mistake. After his father moved away, Lila leaned forward and her hand shot out, just for a moment. After she drew her hand back, the miraculous was sitting there on the pavement plain to see, but… given what Adrien knew about her, it was more than likely she had switched the jewels.

He got out his cat phone and called his partner.

\----

The stress was getting to both of them. It had been three weeks and there was no news from the various police forces trying to track Lila down, nor from her mother, nor from Lila herself. Waiting for the other shoe to drop was agonizing.

Marinette and Adrien, who still occupied their normal seats in school- so as to make it possible for them to pay attention in class- were still having a hard time concentrating. Life had otherwise returned pretty much to normal. People had begun respecting their wish to be treated as themselves when they were not transformed, and only as the superheroes they were when they were in costume. 

They were trying to make the best of it, but honestly, Marinette’s confidence level had sunk to new lows when they’d had to admit that Hawk Moth’s miraculous had slipped past them without either knowing it. They had taken some hits in popularity, but the LadyBlog was still solidly behind them, and Marinette found that having an outlet to address their fans directly was helping. Alya only tried to talk her into another interview three times a week.

Principal Damocles was making noises about renaming the school in their honor, and neither one of them were comfortable with that. Their families were settling into the new normal, although Gabriel Agreste had finally be formally charged and arrested for his activities as Hawk Moth, and now awaited his trial under house arrest- restricted to his own set of apartments inside the mansion. Adrien said that was actually a good thing for his family dynamic. His mother was stepping into the role of running the company, and the house had an entirely different feel now. He was welcome to invite friends over any time, and his extracurriculars and modeling had been cut way back.

Marinette and her family were getting used to having a doorman and a security officer in the bakery itself. It took some getting used to, and she missed the freedom of her balcony’s unrestricted view (she’d gotten some trellises and trained roses on them to block off camera angles from neighboring houses), but it was better than she’d feared.

And then one day in the middle of French Literature class, it happened. Everyone’s phone buzzed with the familiar akuma alert everyone had gotten so used to. Miss Bustier didn’t even look up from what she was writing on the board.

“Marinette, Adrien, you’re excused. Be safe, and come back as soon as you can. Alya, Nino, take notes for both of them.”

Marinette and Adrien gathered their things and were about to dash off to find a hidden place to transform when they realized they didn’t have to do that anymore. So instead, they just transformed right there in the classroom to the cheers of their classmates, ran out into the corridor (where students were already pouring out of classrooms only to watch them leave), and swung their way onto the roof from there.

“Come on, Kitty,” Ladybug said into her earbug. “Let’s kick some akuma butt!”

“Ladybugs first,” he grinned back. “I’m behind you all the way, milady.”

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to put in the scene with Marinette at the Agreste Mansion, but as I was writing it it opened up more cans of worms, and I just didn't want to go there with this. It's already too long as it is!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the journey! See you next time.


End file.
